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Jaggy Nettles cover

  • eBook Edition
    • 978-1-5255-5086-7
    • epub, mobi, pdf files
  • Paperback Edition
    • 978-1-5255-5085-0
    • 6.0 x 9.0 inches
    • Black & White interior
    • 138 pages
  • Keywords
    • Scottish immigrants,
    • emigrating from Scotland,
    • immigrating to Canada,
    • a new beginning,
    • Skint Knees,
    • Scottish childhood,
    • being Scottish in Canada

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Jaggy Nettles
An Immigrant's Memoir
by Fay (Hawson) Copland


The Scots refer to thistles and other stinging plants as “jaggy nettles:” things we can’t help but step on or brush up against sometimes, even when we’re watching where we’re going. Fay (Hawson) Copland has had her fair share of stings over the years, but the love of her family has acted as a soothing balm that always got her through. A sequel to Skint Knees – Reflections on a Scottish Childhood, which focused (as its name implies) on the author’s early years in Scotland, Jaggy Nettles – An Immigrant’s Memoir tells the rest of her story, beginning with young Fay and her family preparing to immigrate to Canada. From there, it follows her life’s journey, growing up as a new Canadian, getting an education, building a satisfying career, and eventually starting a Canadian family of her own – one that has grown to include two children, two in-law children and four grandchildren.


"This is Copland’s earnest memoir of tearing up her deep roots in Scotland and searching out a home for them in Canada. Copland’s story is of adventure and hope as much as it is a story of pilgrimage through the Jaggy Nettles of loss and surrender. Those making the pilgrimage today will cry, laugh, nod, and resonate with Copland’s sincerity, and will find solace if not some healing." — Rev. Daryl Webber, St. Paul’s United Church, Oakville, Ontario.


Fay (Hawson) Copland photo

A teacher who always knew she had a story to tell, Fay (Hawson) Copland decided, in retirement, to take a continuing education course in creative writing at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. After graduating, she quickly got to work, sharing experiences she hoped others could relate to and be inspired by. She recorded an essay for CBC Radio’s Sounds like Canada – First Person Singular, which aired in the early 2000s. Her children’s book, Hidden Treasures – A Story of Church Bells, was published in 2014, followed by her two personal memoirs. She currently lives with her husband in Oakville, Ontario.


Contributors

Author
Fay (Hawson) Copland
Illustrator
Samantha McElroy


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