Donna Grassby
Photo: Dean Weare
Donna (Chisholm) Grassby, born in Whitney Pier, Cape Breton, grew up a “Pier Girl”. As a teenager, she moved to Halifax to study nursing and eventually settled in Ontario. After some years practicing as a registered nurse, Donna discovered bringing up her children was way more fun, especially choosing books to read to them. As her two sons moved on to higher education, she unleashed her passion for writing.
Donna attended George Brown College with Peter Carver as mentor and Humber School for Writers with Sandra Birdsell. Eventually, she joined the ranks of published authors with her first book A Seaside Alphabet published by Tundra Books and illustrated by Susan Tooke.
Donna delights in being a gramma to four beautiful grandchildren and loves sharing her favorite stories with them. She currently lives north of Toronto with her husband Gerry, who from the outset has been a loyal supporter of Kate’s Ring.
Every year, Donna visits Whitney Pier and has even made the trek up to the old abandoned farm on Mount Pleasant (a major setting in Kate’s Ring) with her mom and sister to celebrate her mother’s 90th birthday.
Other books by Donna Grassby
A Seaside Alphabet
Whether it’s a treasure hunt on Jewell Island, Maine, a sunny afternoon on the rocks at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, or a dip in the ocean on Prince Edward Island, life by the sea is fun. This gloriously illustrated picture book is a celebration of all things coastal: humpback whales, teeming wildlife and, most of all, people who make their homes by the ocean. Seaside life is shown in twenty-six magnificent illustrations. The alliterative text and the detailed notes at the back make the book as informative as it is beautiful. For those lucky enough to have visited the coast, as well as those who only dream of the sea, this book is a feast for the eyes and for the spirit.