The Mill Girls have a great summer
The Mill Girls have been going places! In June, I was invited to the Carbonear Public Library to give an afternoon presentation on The Mill Girls. In July, The Mill Girls and I were invited to Ochre Fest in beautiful Ochre Pit Cove. In August, we were guests at Winterset In Summer in Eastport. It has been a honour to be invited to tell the Mill Girls’ story to so many appreciative and curious readers.
The Mill Girls at the A.C. Hunter Library
I have been a regular user of the A.C. Hunter Library in St. John’s since I was a little girl. As I selected some books to keep me busy during our next snowstorm, look what I saw on a wall display!
Black Harbour at Gower
Xaiver Michael Campbell and I gave a talk on our book, Black Harbour: Slavery and the Forgotten Histories of Black People in Newfoundland and Labrador at Gower Street United Church in St. John’s, N.L. on Sunday, February, 15, 2026. It was a thought provoking conversation with attentive members of the Gower congregation and community. A big thank you to the Gower Affirm Committee for inviting us. You can watch it here .
Cambridge Visit
I had a great time bringing The Mill Girls to Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. It was so great to reconnect with Lary Turner and the gang at the Hespeler Heritage Centre , Nicole Smith and Marty LaChance, and to be a guest on CBC’s The Morning Edition K-W with Craig Norris
The turnout at Indigo Cambridge for the book signing was tremendous. I was especially touched to meet more daughters and other relatives of The Mill Girls, and reconnect with those I already know. Thank you for sharing your stories and photos of these amazing women!
Book Launch in St. John’s
Thank you to everyone who came out to the November 2, 2025 St. John’s launch of The Mill Girls and Dr. Margot Duley’s book, From Silence to Suffrage.
And a big thank you to Boulder Books and Persistence Theatre Company for making the event happen. You can pick up both books at your local bookstore and through the Boulder Books website.
NEW from Boulder Books, The Mill Girls.
Join Heather Barrett on an extraordinary journey of discovery as she uncovers the wartime stories of young single women who left Newfoundland for the freedom of working in an Ontario textile mill.