‘Trillium’ tells tale of Niagara history
Innovation is key, or in the case of Margaret Lindsay Holton, it was the key that unlocked a story she first thought up years ago.
The Hamilton resident who considers herself more of a “Golden Horseshoe girl” than anything else is an artist and writer who has released “Trillium,” a work of historical fiction set in the heart of Niagara spanning 250 years, from 1750 to 2001.
“Trillium” largely follows the stories of three distinct families as they navigate the early days of European settlement in the region to the rise of peach growing and then winemaking, to an “Italian family caught up in the mess of the Second World War” and a sweettalking Irish con artist trying to gobble up all the land.
Holton called Niagara a “fascinating, historically rich region” that fit in with her rural roots. She grew up on a farm in the Niagara Escarpment in Burlington, and while she’s spent time in other parts of the province and world, the Golden Horseshoe has always had a special place in her heart.
“It’s that rural environment that always draws me back,” she said.
Beyond the landscape, though, Holton said she wanted to ensure the people who populated her story were equally rich and diverse.
That includes Paddy O’Sullivan, the Irish con artist; Maaka, an Indigenous trapper, and Franco, a dirt-poor Sicilian labourer.
Holton said she’s received good feedback from readers since it was first published late last year. Interestingly, she said, much the reaction isn’t from Niagarans.
“I’m getting more reaction from the U.K. and the States,” she said.
Holton said the book is suitable for any adults, and those interested in families, winemaking or Niagara. She called it a coming of age novel and one she hopes resonates with Niagarans and those who love the region.
“Trillium” is available as an ebook or on Amazon.ca.