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Laura Secord Homestead, Queenston

Coast to Coast: Canada’s Survivalist Women

This four-part speaker series highlights Canadian female authors, their unique perspectives and published works, inside the home of one of Canada’s best known heroines, Laura Secord. Enjoy wine and cheese as we celebrate these extraordinary Canadian authors.
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Coast to Coast “Canada’s Survivalist Women” Literary Series

Beginning September 26, discover extraordinary Canadian authors, their unique perspectives and published works with the eighth annual Coast to Coast Literary Speaker Series at Queenston Chapel by the Laura Secord Homestead.  

This year, four remarkable women authors share their courageous stories about overcoming dark and daunting elements of nature. From being “different” during a eugenics craze, fighting ancient monsters, escaping a murderer in the wilderness, to defying the mighty Niagara Falls, these women weave daring and dramatic stories that will be sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and cheering on protagonists as they risk everything to survive. 

This year’s Coast to Coast Literary Series will be hosted inside the Queenston Chapel at Laura Secord Homestead, in Queenston, Ontario. With dates from September to December, each session includes light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, with Niagara wines available for purchase by the glass prior to each event.   

Tickets are $15 per event or $45 for the entire series (plus taxes and fees).

The Authors

Once again, the Niagara Parks Coast to Coast speaker series features the stories of four incredible Canadian women. All sessions are at 7:00 p.m.

Shelley Wood

The Leap Year GeneSeptember 26

Dr. Caroline Cauchi

The Queen of the Mist October 17

Cheryl Isaacs

The Unfinished November 15

Hannah Mary Mckinnon

Only One SurvivesDecember 12

Shelley Wood

The Leap Year Gene September 26, 2024, 7:00 p.m.


Shelley Wood is a Canadian writer and journalist. Her breakout debut novel, The Quintland Sisters, sold approximately 50,000 copies in North America and debuted as a #1 bestseller on the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail fiction lists, holding the top spot for five weeks, then ending the year as #7 on the list of the top 10 bestselling books of 2019. Shelley Wood lives in British Columbia. 

The Summer Of Bitter and Sweet Novel

Dr. Caroline Cauchi

The Queen of the Mist
October 17, 2024, 7:00 p.m.


Dr. Caroline Cauchi is an academic and international bestselling author. She writes both historical fiction and experimental fiction (also known as Caroline Smailes). Her acclaimed debut novel, ‘In Search of Adam,’ was published in 2007. Since then, Caroline has written eight additional novels (including one with eleven endings!), a short story collection, two novellas and a libretto. Currently lecturing in Creative Writing at the University of Hull, Caroline lives in the U.K. with her partner and their many children.

Daughters Of Occupation Novel

Cheryl Isaacs

The Unfinished
November 15, 2024, 7:00 p.m.


Cheryl Isaacs can often be found running through the Carolinian forests of Southwestern Ontario, where she has fearlessly enjoyed the trails for years. Her Kanien’kéha culture often appears in her writing. The Unfinished is her debut novel, though her work has appeared in numerous Indigenous publications.

Reasonable Adults Novel

Hannah Mary Mckinnon

Only One Survives
December 12, 2024, 7:00 p.m.


Internationally bestselling author Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. Her seven suspense novels include NEVER COMING HOME, THE REVENGE LIST, and ONLY ONE SURVIVES, and her work has been optioned for the screen. She also writes holiday romantic comedies as Holly Cassidy. Hannah Mary lives in Oakville, Ontario, Canada with her husband and three sons.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor Novel