Sweet summer reads from UVic Alumni Relations
May 06, 2025
We help you pick from a crop of interesting alumni books for readers of all ages.
The UVic Alumni Relations team has selected a bunch of exciting books by UVic alumni authors for you that we’ve either enjoyed or can’t wait to read. From politics and memoir, to poetry and fiction and books for young readers—we’ve got you covered.
Julia Keenan, Manager, Alumni Relations
Book I recommend: Rowboat in a Hurricane: My Amazing Journey Across a Changing Atlantic Ocean by Julie Angus, MSc ’01 in Biology.
Why I recommend it: I picked up Rowboat in a Hurricane after Julie Angus received a 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award, curious to learn more about her journey—and I’m so glad I did. Her story gripped me from the first page, not just because of the sheer bravery it took to row across the Atlantic, but because of how thoughtfully she weaves in the story of our changing oceans. It’s a fascinating mix of adventure and science, and it really left a lasting impression on me.
About the book: Part travel memoir, part environmental reflection, Rowboat in a Hurricane recounts Julie Angus’s 10,000-kilometre journey across the Atlantic Ocean—the first mainland-to-mainland crossing by rowboat completed by a woman. Alongside breathtaking accounts of survival and perseverance, Angus highlights the health of our oceans, offering a rare blend of adrenaline and insight.
Anika Leist, Events and Marketing Coordinator
Book I recommend: Twoism by Ali Blythe, BFA ’09 in Writing.
Why I recommend it: Poetry offers a powerful way to tell stories—and Ali Blythe’s Twoism does exactly that. Blythe’s writing is raw, honest and rich with clear imagery that made me pause and truly feel what I was reading. This collection builds in emotional depth as it explores themes of self and change, the fear of change, queerness and the feelings that come with it all while including subtle flashes of humour woven in. It’s tender and sharp at the same time—willing to ask hard questions while still leaving space for beauty. I recommend Twoism to anyone who wants to sit with complexity and find meaning in the in-between.
About the book: Twoism is the debut poetry collection by Ali Blythe, a profound exploration of gender, desire and the shifting boundaries of the self. These poems move through many different common places and environments—hotel rooms, hospitals and the essence of wind—it captures the feeling of being in between: between identities, between bodies, between who you are and who you're becoming.
Erica Youds, Manager, Alumni Relations
Book I recommend: How a Woman Becomes a Lake by Marjorie Celona, BA ’06 in Writing with a minor in Professional Writing
Why I recommend it: This book it on my to-read list! It was shortlisted for the 2021 Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Crime Novel and is from the Giller nominated author of Y. It is a mystery novel (which I love!), but beyond that, reviewers praise it as an emotionally-gripping page-turner; a thoughtful reflection on family, love and grief.
About the book: A taut, suspenseful novel about the dark corners of a small town, and the secrets that lurk within. Told from shifting perspectives, How a Woman Becomes a Lake is a compelling, lyrical novel about family, new beginnings, and costly mistakes, and asks, what do you do when the people who are meant to love you the most, fail?
Kathy Khouri, Alumni Relations Officer
Book I recommend: Dead Reckoning: How I Came to Meet the Man Who Murdered My Father by Carys Cragg, MA '08, BA '05 in Child and Youth Care.
Why I recommend it: I have a personal connection with the author as we met in university. This book seems to be a testament to her raw honesty and personal trauma now publicly shared. I admire her courage and willingness to open her story and her heart.
About the book: This book is a memoir detailing the correspondence and eventual meeting between the author and the man who murdered her father, Calgary doctor Geoffrey Cragg, during a home invasion. Cragg says such highly personal stories are often kept private, for good reasons. “However, the consequence of that trend is that no one has the opportunity to learn, be challenged by, resist against or follow those models for their own lives. I believe memoir offers stories to the world for us all to consider and widen our perspectives of the human condition. Finally, right now, restorative justice is entering into mainstream dialogue,” she told the UVic Torch Alumni Magazine.
Tannaz Hosseini, Alumni Coordinator, Signature Events and Programs
Book I recommend: Crushed Wild Mint by Jess Housty, Cúagilákv, BA ’09 in English.
Why I recommend it: I love how poetry can offer a different kind of storytelling—more feeling than a long plot. This book gave me a sense of calmness and connection. It made me want to slow down and really notice the land around me. I appreciated the deep-rooted wisdom.
About the book: This book is a poetry collection rooted in Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) heritage. Through vivid and sensory language, the poems explore the intersections of land, ancestry, grief, and healing, offering an intimate look at community and our connection to the natural world around us.
Michael Kissinger, Alumni Communications Content Specialist
Book I recommend: Burn Man: Selected Stories by Mark Anthony Jarman, BA ’80 in English, Minor in Creative Writing
Why I recommend it: Sad men, bad men and disfigured men stare into the distance while listening to life’s mixtape of comedy and tragedy in Mark Anthony Jarman’s dizzying and hypnotic short story anthology. Dark, funny and undeniably tender, these stories are dense with imagery and poetic language but deceptively light on their feet, packing a wallop when you least expect it.
About the book: Burn Man is a collection of 21 stories spanning Jarman’s four-decade-and-counting career, which includes the fantastic short story collection 19 Knives and the novel Salvage King Ya! among others. NYT book reviewer Lincoln Michel writes: “Anyone who enjoys poetry in prose, who feels enlivened by language and struck by sentences, will find much to admire in Burn Man. Jarman’s stories are full of violence, tragedy and mistakes. Yet there’s plenty of humor and heart too. […] Burn Man left me seeing a bit more beauty in our hurting-heart world.”
Gina Wheatcroft, UVic Alumni Relations Director & UVic Alumni Association Executive Director
Book I recommend: Reconciling History: A Story of Canada by Jody Wilson-Raybould, BA ’96 in Political Science and History, along with Roshan Danesh.
Why I recommend It: As a leader at UVic and a proud Canadian, I want to better understand the history of colonialism in Canada in order for me to contribute to UVic’s pledge “…to hold ourselves accountable to ʔetalnəw̓əl̓| ÁTOL,NEUEL by respecting the rights of one another, being in right relationship with all things, and by upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
I have friends and family ask me all the time why this work is so important, and I want to be able to provide them with facts for their understanding and empathy. I did all my schooling in Canada, and it’s sad that we were not taught about colonization and residential schools. We have a lot of learning to make up for in order to be better equipped to help Indigenous communities reclaim their culture, language and traditions that were taken under federal government policies designed for assimilation. I’m curious to read Jody’s book, which uses the metaphor of the totem pole.
About the book: The Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, lawyer and former federal cabinet minister writes: “This book, Reconciling History, builds on my previous book, True Reconciliation—the learning and understanding of the history of this country from the time it was formed and before. In this book, Roshan and I use the metaphor of the totem pole to do two things: to reflect the reality and the worldview of my people, and the lineage, teachings, and history that we have as evidenced in the pole, and to also reflect on the legacy of colonialism and the reality of that history and how it’s been told in many different voices.
“What we seek to do with this book is to tell the story of Canada not just from the voices of the few but of the many. This includes Indigenous peoples sharing varied perspectives and experiences that we’ve had.”
For young readers
Rachel Drummond, Alumni Coordinator
Book I recommend: A is for Anemone: A First West Coast Alphabet by Robert (Lucky) Budd, BA ’00 in Philosophy, Minor in Greek and Roman Studies, MA ’05 in History, and Roy Henry Vickers
Why I recommend it: This charming little board book by a UVic Distinguished Alumni Award recipient is a family favourite in our home! I love that it introduces my toddler to the wonders of the Pacific West Coast. Its rhythmic meter and consistent flow make reading a joy, and the vibrant, textured illustrations offer a delightful tactile experience for even the youngest readers.
About the book: An alphabet book that explores the landscapes and culture of the West Coast.
Jenny Manzer, Alumni Communications Officer
Book I recommend: Aggie and Mudgy: The Journey of Two Kaska Dena Children by anthropology major Wendy Proverbs, BA ‘09 MA ‘12
Why I recommend it: It’s informative, authentic, tender, well-researched and age-appropriate. While we have a growing sense of dread as the long journey forges on, the strong love shown between family members keeps the story on a hopeful tone for young readers. There is a frame in the story of Nan telling her granddaughter Maddy about an old family photo of two young girls standing together. Maddy learns about sad things but the book is about a family’s strong, binding love. “Children maybe need a little cushion to… comprehend the harsh reality of what happened to these children,” says Proverbs of the story technique.
About the book: Aggie and Mudgy: The Journey of Two Kaska Dena Children traces the 1,600-kilometre voyage of sisters forced from their remote village to Lejac Residential School. The book follows the Indigenous girls, aged eight and six, as they travel from their home village of Daylu to Lejac Residential School in central BC. They are accompanied by an unkind priest, Father Allard, a sinister man who wears long black robes. The novel for preteens is complemented by illustrations from Alyssa Koski. The seeds for the stories were based on accounts from Proverbs’ own family.
Indigenous alums reading list
From poetry and drama to fiction and graphic novels, this selection of books showcases a fraction of the incredible authorship amongst Indigenous alums and hopefully serves as a starting point to delve deeper into their remarkable work.
Alumni book club
The UVic Alumni Book Club gathers online in a private discussion forum—where members share thoughts, insights and lively discussions about our current reads.
Sign up for free to the UVic Alumni Book Club and enrich your reading experience.