The City Of Vancouver is helping rerelease ten out of print books to celebrate it's 125th birthday, and the first of these Vancouver 125 Legacy Books that I've TOLD you all about is hitting bookshelves!
We received a copy of Opening Doors in Vancouver's East End: Strathcona not long ago and I am happy to report that it's just as fantastic as the original. Pictured below is the V.I.A. reading room copy of the original with the new one piled on top (to the left is a stack of other books we'll be reviewing shortly!).
Opening Doors is essentially made up of more than 50 interviews with residents of Strathcona. The area (known as The East End when this book was originally published in the 1970's) has always been a home to a diverse array of people from all over the world, many of them escaping problems ranging from poverty and prejudice to famine and war. The majority of its early residents, dating back to the late 1800s, were immigrants or children of immigrant parents who had to learn new customs and a new language as they struggled to make a living and raise their families. Editors Daphne Marlatt and Carole Itter conducted interviews with a broad range of them in 1977 and 1978 when the book was originally published and will be in attendance for the rerelease party tomorrow at 7PM at People's Co-op Bookstore, 1391 Commercial Drive.
Learn all about the book on Harbour Publishing's WEB SITE and if you're keen make it down to People's Co-op on Thursday for the release!
