Roberts certainly lived an interesting life, and one that was unconventional for her time.

Born in 1903, she attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto (as did Golding), studied biochemistry and became a professor and the acting dean of the department of household sciences.

When the Second World War broke out, she joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and was an officer. She didn’t have children and got married for the first time at the age of 50.

After her great aunt turned 100, Golding persuaded her to return to Brampton.

“I vowed if she did, I would visit her every week,” she said.

Roberts lived until the ripe old age of 108 and, during their weekly visits, she would regale Golding with stories about her past. Intrigued, the author began to write many of them down.

A number of these recollections make their way into The Innocent, and the main character is based on the author’s great aunt. Golding took the stories and peppered them with historical facts (she spent two years on research for the novel) and added her own storytelling flair to craft the book.

She notes, while it is inspired by the tales told by Roberts and is dedicated to her, it’s not a biography.

Those familiar with the history of the city will recognize characters with the names of historical families such as the Dales, Lawsons and McMurchys. The father of former Ontario premier Bill Davis, one of Brampton’s most famous sons, also appears in the book.

Golding plans to release two more books in what she’s calling her Beneath the Alders series — The Beleaguered (fall 2019) and The Mending (fall 2020).

For more, visit lynnegoldingauthor.com.



