Pictou County writer launches second book

Doreen MacLeod keeps a daily journal. In it, she’s recorded much of her own life, but on the pages she’s also documented the lives of those around her.

In those books, she wrote about her phone conversations with her son, who was working in western Canada in the oil sands. Based on those journal entries, she’s written a book she’s titled “The Yellow Gold Is Black.”

The book tells one man’s story of personal sacrifice – juggling a career in the west and family back east – during what could be considered the largest outmigration of people from the Maritime provinces since the Second World War.

She believes the book will resonate with many people in Pictou County. “I think everybody either has been, or knows somebody out there,” MacLeod said. “There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds.”

The McCulloch House Museum and Genealogy Centre is hosting a launch for the book this Sunday.

MacLeod is a visual artist who began writing after retirement. Her paintings and photographs appear inside both her first book “This Place Called Sylvester” and the new book.

MacLeod said the stories cover a variety of topics. It’s a book about isolation and loneliness, as well as the dreams and hopes of those who go out west for work, she said.

It also covers the economics of what was happening during the period between 2008 and 2015, such as the rise and fall of oil prices.

MacLeod hopes people will take away “an understanding of what it’s like to have to leave home to find good work.”

While it’s a lot of work to put together a book, MacLeod said it’s something she wanted to do, so she just went ahead and did it.

The journals, along with additional details from her son, helped make the process go relatively smoothly. She said with her son as a source of information and her journals providing day-to-day information from their calls, she didn’t have to do any research.

The launch will be held at 2 p.m. and will include a book signing as well as refreshments.

For more information call The McCulloch House (902) 485-4563 or visit www.mccullochcentre.ca.