Marie Donais Calder has overcome many obstacles in her life, and perhaps one of her biggest obstacles she has had to overcome is one which has left her legally blind.
Born with severe myopia, Donais Calder's perseverance and determination has shone through over the years. She was born in Tilston, Man., where her family lived until 1959 when her father was killed in a tragic car accident. Afterward, her family moved to Redvers where she finished the rest of her schooling.
She then went on to attend the University of Regina, where she attained a B.Ed before going on to teach elementary education for 30 years.
But this wasn't her biggest accomplishment.
After retiring from teaching, Donais Calder decided to pursue another goal she had in mind - to become a published author by sharing a story she felt people needed to know.
It took years of hard work, but today she can proudly say she is the author of not just one, but two published books. In the coming months, she will add another six books to the collection as she releases the remaining six books in "The Other Side" series.
Her first book, "The Other Side of War," was released in July, and she is currently promoting the release of her second book, "The Other Side of Fear," which came out in September.
"The second baby is just as exciting as the first one, and that's the same when you have a book that comes out because you've laboured over this for years, and here it is," explained Donais Calder. "It's beautiful, and it's bouncing, and it's affecting people's lives already."
"The Other Side" is a historical series based on her father's experiences as a peacekeeper in Germany from 1945-46 after the war ended. These stories present the challenges faced by people in the aftermath of World War Two.
While overseas, her father Edmond Donais, a native of Alida, met a German family through a 10-year-old boy name Johann. Donais Calder's first five books chronicle the challenges and struggles for her father and the German family. The sixth and subsequent novels are set in Canada, where her father returns to his family home in Tilston, Man.
For Donais Calder, it is a dream come true to be able to share her father's story. She has always seen the importance of sharing it and is overjoyed by the reception her books have received so far.
"The look on their faces when they talk to me about the book, this is my biggest award," said Donais Calder. "The stories that come back to me are just amazing. I guess it's quite an inspirational series."
"To hear perfect strangers saying to me, 'This is extremely profound,' touched me deeply," she continued. "It made an 80-year-old man cry. And another soldier, putting the books with his war medals, I mean it is just unbelievable."
She is also impressed by the fact her books appear to be bridging a generation gap between young people today and their grandparents or great-grandparents.
"It's touching every age group," said Donais Calder. "Thirteen and 14-year-old boys, [who] are more interested in texting, are reading these books and [are now] verbally communicating with their grandfathers and great-grandfathers because they have a common interest. They have found something, finally, that they can discuss. It's bringing discussion to these generations. I'm afraid our young people are losing that ability to verbally discuss things with generations gone by. But this particular series is something that is passionate and affecting them."
"I think that this series is bringing an honour of their sacrifice and their contribution in the Second World War, and as a result, we in Canada, have freedom," she continued.
"The Other Side of Fear," which was just released, drives home the point of what the German people went through in post war times.
"In this book, we learn about how this family was treated during the war by the allies," said Donais Calder. "They were forced to leave their home and dig a hole in the ground, and live in that hole in the ground for over a year."
"As the war continued on, they had no idea what to expect from minute to minutes," Donais Calder continued. "They lived in fear, every minute of every day. Now we're in Canada and we don't have that kind of fear during the war. Yes we fear that our loved ones overseas might not come home, but we don't have to fear that somebody is going to do things to our women. But I'm not going to deal with that particular aspect until the fifth book."
"The Other Side of War" and "The Other Side of Fear" by Marie Donais Calder are currently available at the grocery store in Alida, Carnduff Agencies, Innovations Hair and Tanning in Estevan, A&A Jewelers in Estevan, and R & M Value Foods in Melita.
Alternatively, if someone would like to meet Donais Calder and hear a reading from her books, she will be in Carlyle at the library on Oct. 15 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.The third book, "The Other Side of Pain," is set to be released at the end of October.
