Nanaimo Girl
by Prudence Emery
ISBN: 9781770865273
Format: Trade Paperback w/ Flaps
Size: 6" x 9"
Subjects:
BIO000000 BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / General
BIO022000 BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women
BIO005000 BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts
Price: $24.95
Publication Date: April 25, 2020
​
Synopsis:
Born in Nanaimo to a family of eccentrics, Prudence Emery was set up to do all the right things: she went to Crofton House private school for girls in Vancouver, attended the Trafalgar Day Ball, and was a debutante.
But she shattered family expectations when she took off for London to attend art school. There, living on an allowance from her father, she met and became fast friends with an astonishing array of people, and at the expense of her studies, she became a party girl.
​
After her father cautioned her that he would not pay for such a decadent lifestyle, she moved to Montreal and landed a job at Expo 67.
​
After this, she returned to London to work in the press office of the Savoy Hotel – back in the days when the Savoy was the home-away-from-home for the stars of stage and film, political figures, and royalty.
Realising that she would die of champagne consumption, she returned to Canada where she worked as a film publicist. Upon retirement, she moved to Victoria where she continues to live a life that is anything but prudent.
Delightfully written, this often very funny memoir is a testament to a life well-lived and an encouragement to all, young and old, to get out, defy expectations, and have a rip-roaring good time.
Reviews
​
“These are bleak times, for sure, so a memoir from someone who merrily defied expectations is welcome.”
— NOW Magazine
​
“Memoirs, as with all forms of autobiography, are complicated animals, good ones even more so. Many historical accounts of a personal nature, written and verbal, tend to drift into ‘I went here, I saw this, I did that’ — and in places, Nanaimo Girl is no different. What sets Pru’s entertaining stories apart, however, is that there are so many of them. The result is that I found myself asking, ‘Where’s she going now? What’s she doing? What happens next?’ And of course, that’s the perfect chemistry of a page-turner. The Beatles once sang: ‘Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?’ And play she did. What a life!”
— Randolph Eustace-Walden, Ormsby Review
​
“There is no ‘blah, blah, blah’ in this book. Reading Nanaimo Girl is like enjoying a martini or three with Auntie Mame. The stories are colourful, global, boozy and just cheeky enough to make you envious — and at the same time a little concerned.”
— Dana Gee, Vancouver Sun
​
“Full of fun and raucous tidbits about celebrity personalities, on-set moments, gaffers and gaffes, Emery gives a fascinating look into a life well-lived." - YAM, Victoria's Lifestyle Magazine
“This breezy behind-the-scenes showbiz read is a reminder that even the brightest stars like to touch ground and get invited to play.”
— Liam Lacey, Literary Review of Canada