MaryLou Driedger
@mld-author.bsky.social
Author, Newspaper Columnist, Free Lance Journalist
My latest newspaper column is called Buildings With Soul. It looks at some buildings important to my childhood that are no longer there. Read my column at the link below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/07/23/b...
Buildings With Soul
My latest newspaper column for The Carillon explores the idea that buildings are more than just their outward structures. They do, in fact, have a kind of soul. In my column, I look at some buildin…
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I was surprised to find some of the pieces I wrote for a travel website called Things Asian were still available online. It was kind of nostalgic to discover them. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/07/25/t...
Things Asian
During the six years we lived in Asia, I was a regular writer for a website called Things Asian. I was surprised to learn the other day that many of the pieces I wrote for them were still available…
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Every summer I devote one of my newspaper columns to a list of recommended books from those I've enjoyed over the past year. Read the list for 2026 in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/07/08/s...
Summer Reading
My husband enjoying a summer read Every summer I use one of my newspaper columns in The Carillon to give recommendations for summer reading from books I’ve read over the past year. You can re…
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The audiobook of Kathryn Stockett's new novel, The Calamity Club, is excellent and made the miles fly by on our recent road trip. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/07/03/t...
The Calamity Club: A Book to Listen To
Louise Penny In her latest newsletter, best-selling Canadian author Louise Penny talks about why audiobooks are so popular. She thinks it’s because they remind us of the magic we experienced …
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Read my review of Ann Patchett's latest novel, Whistler, at the link below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/06/24/w...
Whistler
When Seth Meyers interviewed Ann Patchett about her latest book, Whistler, on his late-night show, he gave her a bit of a hard time for having a horse on the cover since only about five pages of th…
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My latest newspaper column is about a move by the Hanover School Board to label activism initiatives by teachers and students as appropriate or inappropriate. Read more by clicking on the link below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/06/26/a...
Activism in Schools
My latest newspaper column is about a decision by the Hanover School Division to address creating a policy that would monitor and regulate activism in schools. They will try to define the what kind…
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In my latest newspaper column, I look at what I was writing about in 1986 when I was first hired as a writer for The Carillon. You can read more below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/06/12/4...
40 Years of Column Writing
My most recent newspaper column celebrates the fact that this year marks a 40th anniversary for me. I’ve been writing my column, Viewpoint, for the regional paper, The Carillon, for four deca…
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My, what a harsh life women had in the 1500s. It is hard to believe all the things the true-life heroine survives in Allegra Goodman's book, Isola. Read my review below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/06/08/i...
Isola- A Harsh Life
Life was incredibly harsh in the 1500s, especially if you were a woman! That would be my first observation after finishing the book Isola by Allegra Goodman. I had downloaded this novel onto my e-r…
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I found out what a forgetment is while reading M.L. Stedman's new novel A Far Flung Life. You can read about it below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/06/02/f...
Forgetment
Just a warning that you might not want to read M.L Stedman’s latest book, A Far Flung Life. There is a troubling moral dilemma at its heart that may haunt you long after you finish reading th…
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Elizabeth Strout's latest novel made me cry. I highly recommend it. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/05/25/i...
I Wept
I literally wept, several times, while reading Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel The Things We Never Say. I finished it just before my husband and I set out on a long bike ride and he got worri…
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Do you know who remittance men were or the role they played in the history of our province? I didn't until I read a novel called Remittance Man. Learn more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/05/23/r...
Remittance Men and Their Role in Manitoba’s History
I had no idea what a remittance man was till I read a book written by the father of a friend of mine. The story was inspired by the life of Fredrick Ross’s grandfather who was a remittance ma…
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I was a guest on a radio show this week to promote an amazing book sale happening this weekend. It is being staged by Friends of the Winnipeg Public Library, and you don't want to miss it. Find out why in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/05/21/t...
The Best Book Sale in Winnipeg
On Tuesday, I had the privilege of being a guest on a CJNU radio show to discuss the Friends of the Winnipeg Public Library’s work and our annual major fundraiser this weekend. I have served …
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My latest newspaper column is about safety in Canadian libraries. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/05/14/l...
Library Safety
My most recent newspaper column was about safety in libraries. This has become a growing problem in libraries across the country. My column was prompted by an article in The Carillon about an incre…
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I totally agree with the author of a new book about the value of talking to strangers. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/05/12/o...
Once Upon a Stranger
Yesterday Dave and I went golfing and another man, who we learned later had been a social worker, joined us for the round, since the course was quite busy. By the time we had finished our nine hole…
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My most recent newspaper column is about the Artemis space flight. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/05/04/a...
Artemis Brings People Together
The Artemis Space Crew- from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen-photographer Josh Valcarcel- photo from Wikipedia The t…
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Dora Dueck has published a new collection of short stories. Check out my thoughts about it in the post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/05/03/l...
Like A River Divides the Earth
Painting by Les Brandt In each of the five short stories in Dora Dueck’s latest book Like A River Divides the Earth the main characters are dealing with something in their past that has not b…
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A newspaper column I wrote about Manitoba women and health. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/04/16/m...
Manitoba Women and Health
We hear plenty of bad news about the state of our health care system here in Manitoba. So I decided to write my latest newspaper column about some of the good things that have been happening here i…
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A review of Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict. Did you know about its connection to Downton Abbey? maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/04/30/d...
Daughter of Egypt
Highclere Castle -photo from Wikipedia Do you recognize this home? It’s Highclere Castle which was the main location for the shooting of the movies and television series Downton Abbey. It is …
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I throughly enjoyed Finding Flora by Elinor Florence. It's an historical fiction novel about early female settlers in Alberta. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/02/04/f...
Finding Flora
My friend Marguerite recommended the book, Finding Flora by Elinor Florence and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The title is apt because the protagonist, Flora, a young Scottish woman who has just immigra…
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Why are so many recent bestsellers about older people making the most of the last years of their lives? Find out by reading my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/p...
Popular Books About Old People
I just finished reading Theo of Golden, a self-published novel by lawyer and songwriter Allen Levi that’s been riding high on the bestseller lists for quite some time now. It’s the stor…
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I received a book from a book fairy yesterday at the restaurant where I had breakfast. What is a book fairy. Click on the link to find out. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/a...
A Gift From the Book Fairy
Yesterday morning, my husband drove me to my volunteer job at Canadian Mennonite University, and we decided to have coffee in their Folio Cafe together before I went to work. I noticed someone had …
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What would happen if suddenly you SNAPPED and behaved inappropriately and perhaps even criminally? A new novel by Susin Nielsen explores that possibility with humour and heart. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2026/01/09/s...
SNAP- A Good Entertaining Read
What happens when a usually normal, calm person SNAPS and loses their temper in a very public and embarrassing way? The three main protagonists in Susin Nielsen’s book SNAP are about to find …
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A beautiful new book, Levi's Gift by Kathy Stinson, about a man who gives away his cherished violin, will be in my violin-playing granddaughter's stocking this Christmas. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2025/12/02/l...
Levi’s Gift
Kathy Stinson, has just published her 20th picture book for children, and it’s a beauty called Levi’s Gift. My six year-old granddaughter takes violin lessons, and I’ve bought it …
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Read my review of Hazel Prior's engaging novel, How the Penguins Saved Veronica. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2025/12/09/h...
How The Penguins Saved Veronica
I’ve heard from so many readers that they enjoyed The Correspondent after I reviewed it here on my blog. The same friend, Simone, who recommended I read The Correspondent, also thought I̵…
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I love Colleen Nelson's latest middle-grade novel, which is set in a historic Winnipeg library. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2025/12/11/a...
A Book Set in A Winnipeg Library
I like to read a steady stream of new books written for young people since that’s the audience I target with my own novels. My latest read, How To Save a Library by Colleen Nelson, is set rig…
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A new children's book, The Christmas That Almost Wasn't by Laura Alary, had me thinking about how we can make Christmas memorable even if things don't go as we planned. @lauraalary.bsky.social maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2025/12/16/a...
A Different Sort of Christmas
On Sunday, we went to see our granddaughter’s Christmas program at the church our children attend, and they put on a little drama about how a snowstorm changes the way a family experiences Ch…
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My editor, Deborah Froese, has created a series of podcasts that both experienced and novice writers will find very helpful. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2025/11/27/w...
Write, Writer, Write!
Deborah Froese is a seasoned Winnipeg editor. Dozens of authors, including me, have trusted her to help them hone and refine their precious manuscripts and have been so glad they did. Now she has c…
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I recently finished two novels about lost children. Read my reviews in the post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/t...
Two Novels About Lost Children
I recently finished reading two very interesting novels, one right after the other, whose storylines revolved around lost children. The first was a Pulitzer Prize winner called The Snow Child by Eo…
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The Atlantic recently published a list of what they believe to be essential children's picture books. I agreed with some of their selections, but not all of them. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/e...
Essential Children’s Books
My copy of Ezra Jack Keats’ A Snowy Day is 50 years old. It is considered one of the 65 essential pieces of children’s literature. The Atlantic recently ran a story about what they beli…
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I helped set up a Little Free Library in Winnipeg which has been thriving for a decade. Read more in my post below. maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/t...
The Story of A Little Free Library
I love being the librarian at my church In 2016, I had the idea of opening a Little Free Library at Bethel Mennonite Church. When I took on the position of church librarian in 2014, my first task w…
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