In early 2021, John McMillan started writing a memoir, documenting the stories of his life and upbringing. This memoir, Remembering the Life of a Simple Man, started as a way for him to pass his history down to his grandchildren, and now it is a book that is available for purchase in hardcover, paperback, and e-book.
McMillan realized that he has one granddaughter who was too young to remember her grandmother when she died, and a grandson who never met his grandmother. This got him thinking, “Maybe I should write down what it was like to grow up in a small farming community in southwestern Quebec, and what life was like for their grandfather.” Growing up was very different for him compared to what his grandchildren are experiencing now, as he says he grew up “in a house that had no hot water or forced air.”
The book starts with stories from the very beginning of his childhood, before he was even in school. He talks about his family farm in Franklin, how he spent the holidays, games that he played growing up, and his journey through school. As he gets into the later parts of his life, he says that “I write about my first date, my first kiss, how I met my future wife, and courting. And, how I met her family and how our two families were different.” He then goes on to share the stories of his time at university studying engineering, and what it was like to raise a family. Along with the stories of raising kids, he jokes about “The trouble I got into and how my wife was very patient with me.”
The book took him about three years to complete. “I’m not computer savvy; I type with one finger,” McMillan says. Though he did not write every day, he steadily made his way through the memories until the book was done. He felt that the more he wrote, the more stories came up for him to add. He also did all his own editing. “I wanted my book to sound like me, using my language with all of its imperfections,” he adds, sharing that he read the book cover to cover over ten times to make sure he corrected as many mistakes as possible.
Once the book was finished, McMillan published it with FriesenPress. McMillan wasn’t sure if he wanted to publish it publicly or if he would keep it for just his family. But ultimately decided that he would like to share it with more than just his immediate circle. He feels strongly that the book is a legacy for generations of his family to come.
While he says writing this book “kept me out of trouble” for the past few years, he is now working on some new writing projects. He recently published an article in the annual journal for the Chateauguay Valley Historical Society and is working on a few more. He is also drafting a second memoir, which focuses on his 45-year-long engineering career. He hopes to publish it next spring.
To purchase a copy of Remembering the Life of a Simple Man, visit books.friesenpress.com and search McMillan.