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The story of a young Indigenous woman coming of age in Canada in the 1980s

July 29th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized

Creative nonfiction story Tilly: a Story of Hope and Resilience captures spirit of hope, recovery

monique gray smithMonique Gray Smith, an accomplished consultant, writer and speaker, was at the Gabriola Island Public Library earlier this year discussing her new book about a First Nations woman’s journey to sobriety.

The book is called Tilley: A Story of Hope and Resilience. “It’s the story of one woman’s journey from early addiction and alcoholism to discovering who she is as a mixed heritage person,” Gray Smith told the Nanaimo News Bulletin. “Even though it’s a story based on First Nations people and history, it really is a story of common humanity around recovery and the ability to move past early obstacles in life.”

One day, Tilly’s seventh grade classmate Abby invites Tilly home for lunch and offers her “something special” to drink. From that first taste on, the buzzy feeling of invincibility in a bottle becomes a way for Tilly to escape her social insecurities and grief over her grandmother. But after one night of dangerously heavy drinking, Tilly realizes she must relinquish herself from the death grip of her anaconda vice. Finding courage and pride within herself from her heritage, a stranger’s timely advice never seemed so sage: “Never question who you are or who your people are. It’s in your eyes. I know it’s in your heart.” [–Preview: Monique Gray Smith – Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience, Vancouver Weekly]

Monique Gray Smith is a mixed-heritage woman of Cree, Lakota and Scottish ancestry and a proud mom of young twins. She is well known for her warmth, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience. Monique has been sober and involved in her healing journey for over 20 years. She and her family are blessed to live on Coast Salish territory in Victoria, B.C.

We speak with Monique Gray Smith, in a People First Radio interview from January 2014.

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Monique Gray Smith talks about her book, Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience (October 10, 2013)

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