This new book is not part of the epic "Muskoka Novel" saga, which is complete at 4 books - at least for now.
Based on a novel I began in 2000 but soon abandoned, Once Upon a Summer became a joyful, escapist COVID project in 2020 after I published Lighting the Stars, which took over six years to research and write. I was ready for something shorter and more contemporary, but still set in the landscape that nourishes my soul – Muskoka.
As a teenager, I was fortunate to spend unforgettable summer weeks at my friend Fay Patterson’s island cottage on Lake Rosseau in Muskoka. We often went to nearby Cleveland’s House resort to pick up mail and savour ice cream cones. Over the last few decades, my family and I have occasionally stayed at Cleve’s – as it’s affectionately known – as well as many other resorts throughout Muskoka, including Windermere House before and after the devastating fire in 1996.
But Cleve’s was the epitome of gracious, Victorian summer places to me, and inspired my Westwind Inn. This, however, is a work of fiction, so Westwind and all the characters in the novel spring from my imagination.
Find out more about the novel - including Discussion Questions, an Excerpt, and where to buy - on my website.
Cleveland's House waterfront. Photo copyright Gabriele Wills
