Mary Daem, Local Author

I have always loved children’s literature. Right as I moved out of childhood in my teens, I gained an adult appreciation for books written for children, and began collecting my favourites. I especially looked for elegance of language, and stories that were both challenging and uplifting. Randall Jarrell, E.B. White, William Steig, Maurice Sendak, and Tove Jannson were among my favourites. All of their books had great characters who may have been animals or mythical creatures, but who none the less showed aspects of true humanity. In this time of physical distancing, I would especially recommend Abel’s Island by William Steig. It is about a mouse who ended up stranded on an island and who had to come to terms with his true self.

So, why am I writing about children’s literature on a museum blog? For one thing, today, April 2, 2020 is International Children’s Book Day. April 2 was the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen, the famous Danish children’s author. This preamble is also by way of an introduction to one of Revelstoke’s most successful children’s authors. Mary Bannerman Daem was born in Banff in 1913. She married Joris Daem of Revelstoke in 1937. Mary was a prolific author, writing short stories and poems for children, several of which were included in Canadian school readers. She also wrote for newspapers and magazines, often focusing on the history of the Columbia River and Arrow Lakes.

In 1959, Mary Daem’s first novel for children, Lucky Lure at Arrow Point, was published by Abelard-Schuman Ltd. of London and New York. The book was set on the Arrow Lakes, and tells the story of Jamie Turner, a boy who travels from Vancouver to spend the summer with his grandmother at her remote lakeshore farmhouse. Jamie had spent four years in hospital after a severe injury, and was scared of his new surroundings. The book blurb describes Jamie’s journey from scared little boy to someone who comes to terms with his own fears. “Yes, Jamie was scared – of everything, from managing stairs to managing billy goats. How he gradually overcomes his fears and forgets himself in blithe outdoor activities, in the end even doing a courageous, physically difficult thing, is told with rare skill and poignancy.”

I especially appreciated reading this book describing the rural lifestyle on the Arrow Lakes, recognizing that this way of life was disrupted with the creation of the Arrow Lake Reservoir.  The Hugh Keenleyside Dam, built at Castlegar in 1969, obliterated many small communities, and displaced 2,000 people who had created their lives in the valley.

Joris and Mary Daem at Revelstoke Museum, circa 1960s. P2822

I recently read the book, one chapter at a time, on Facebook Live, and it is now available both on the Revelstoke Museum & Archives Facebook page, and on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvW8FZhSWablYOhlqZxE3DA  I invite you to listen to the story, and enjoy the nostalgic journey into a lost way of life. As you view the videos, you will see the lovely line drawing illustrations by Geoffrey Whittam.

In the next little while, I will begin reading from Mary Daem’s second novel, The Whistling Mountain, published by Abelard-Schuman Ltd. in 1960. It is set in the fictional village of Swiftwater, B.C., but is clearly inspired by Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. I look forward to delving into this book as well.

Mary and Joris Daem were involved with the Revelstoke & District Historical Association which started the Revelstoke Museum in 1962. Mary worked as the first curator of the museum, accessioning the artifacts and creating the paper catalog system that became the basis of our current collections management database. Her descriptions of the artifacts often included her own insights into the history of Revelstoke, and show glimpses of her wry sense of humour.

When I started working at Revelstoke Museum and Archives in 1983, I got to know Mary, and appreciated her passion for local history, as well as her generosity in helping me with my own writing aspirations. She became known in later years for her exquisite tiny watercolour paintings. Mary passed away in December of 1990, at the age of 77, but her name lives on in her writing, as well as in the Mary Daem Bursary, awarded to up to five graduating students of Revelstoke Secondary School each year. Fittingly, the bursary is earmarked for the purchase of school textbooks and supplies. Mary would be happy to know that her name is remembered as a way to help university students continue their studies and to keep reading.