By: Turner, Trudy
ISBN: 978-088839-710-2
Binding: Trade Paper
Size: 8.5" X 5.5"
Pages: 424
Photos: 131
Illustrations: 7
Publication Date: 2012

PR Highlights: Homesteading in remote Lonesome Lake
PHOTO Highlights: 48-page color photo section

A true pioneer remembers the harsh but rich homesteading life in remote Lonesome Lake, BC. Born in a remote homestead at Lonesome Lake in southwest British Columbia, Trudy Turner was raised in true pioneer fashion, without running water, electricity or cars. (Trudy learned to fly a plane in her twenties, but didn't get her motor vehicle driver's license until she was in her sixties.) Her parents began their homestead in 1912 and her family spent most of the twentieth century in that area working their small farms and living independent lives in harmony with nature and the animals that inhabit the region.

In 1939, as a young girl of 10, Trudy's father gave her the job of feeding the near-extinct trumpeter swans that wintered in the region. He had begun the feeding program in 1933 and Trudy kept it up until 1989. When she was 24, Trudy started her own homestead, building a home with the most basic hand tools.

Now in her eighties, Trudy reflects on her unusual life and eloquently describes her experiences growing up in a world that others may view as isolated and lonely, but to her was a complete and satisfying existence. Her work is an honest portrayal of her life as viewed through a long lens of many years and many experiences; she does not hesitate to recognize her personal failings, as experience and observation have given her the gift of perception and insight. Her strong personal viewpoint is a positive reflection of her character, and countered by her deep appreciation for nature and what it has taught her.

Trudy Turner was born in a remote homestead at Lonesome Lake in southwest British Columbia in the 1920s and raised in true pioneer fashion, without running water, electricity or cars. In fact, Trudy learned to fly a plane in her twenties, but didn't obtain her motor vehicle driver's license until she was in her sixties.
In 1939, as a young girl of 10, Trudy's father gave her the job of feeding the near-extinct trumpeter swans that wintered in the region. Trudy's story was first told in 'Fogswamp: Living with Swans in the Wilderness,' which outlined the lives of the Edwards and Turner families and their experiences with the trumpeter swans.
Now in her eighties, Trudy reflects on her unusual life and describes her experiences growing up in a world that others may view as isolated and lonely, but to her was a complete and satisfying existence. Her strong personal viewpoint is a positive reflection of her character, and countered by her deep appreciation for nature and what it has taught her.