Little Yellow House: Finding Community in a Changing Neighbourhood

by Carissa Halton Narrated by Marysia Bucholc

Overview

“Ma'am, you sound like a very reasonable person. Can I advise you to just move?”

Carissa Halton and her young family move into a neighbourhood with a tough reputation. As they make their home in one of the oldest parts of the city, she reflects on the revitalization that is slowly changing the view from her little yellow house. While others worry about the area's bad reputation, she heads out to meet her neighbours, and through them discovers the innate beauty of her community. Halton introduces us to a cast of diverse characters in her Alberta Avenue neighbourhood-including cat rescuers, tragic teens, art evangelists, and crime fighters-and invites us to consider the social and economic forces that shape and reshape our cities.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Halton clearly delights in interacting with people from all walks of life; her interest and empathy sparkle throughout. Her tone is factual, nonjudgmental, and often wryly funny. Little Yellow House is a balanced presentation of a diverse community in transition, complete with faults and growing pains."—Rachel Jagareski, Foreword Review
"It’s books like this that remind us all… that community is more than about special events that happen once a year. It’s about connecting to people often and throughout the year. Doing so can and does result in some wonderful experiences." [Full article at https://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/community-in-a-little-yellow-book-20181010]—Scott Hayes, St. Albert Gazette
# 1 on Edmonton Non-Fiction Bestsellers list, October 19, 2018
"It's an illuminating and hopeful book that asks readers to think again about what makes places liveable, and also provides a wonderful glimpse of Jane Jacobs' proverbial sidewalk ballet."—49th Shelf
"Great cities and neighbourhoods are containers for stories, just like this book is, and every one of these is delightfully readable and well-written right down to the sentence level. And Halton is not afraid of tension, of ambiguity and uncertainty, something living in the city teaches you, and so each of these stories is suspended in a careful place, not neatly packaged or simply concluded. Which gives their culmination the effect of a walk through a city street, of glimpses, moments, and changing scenes—a most satisfying and delightful excursion."—Kerry Clare, author of Mitzi Bytes
"This book is an excellent resource for communities wanting to create change. It can also be a starting point for discussion with students... to focus on identifying Who are the vulnerable? Who gets to decide that they’re vulnerable? and What community-based solutions honour lifestyle choices? Little Yellow House shows readers there are ways of working and living together that really do respect diversity. I loved this book."—Judith Kulig, Alberta Views Magazine
"In these stark and endearing personal essays, the author celebrates her life and lives fearlessly and fully with three children and a husband, despite a dystopian backdrop. Halton writes with humour, empathy, and spiritual maturity, and she doesn't judge the inner city world outside her yellow house."—Linda Alberta, Prairie Books Now
# 2 on Calgary Herald's Non-Fiction Bestsellers list.—Calgary Herald

"In this rich blend of stories, Carissa Halton captures the spirit of her downtown neighbourhood while sharing fresh ideas about justice and injustice in city life. Take a stroll down the street with her, meet her neighbours, and join an inspirational conversation about the true nature of home. Halton writes with clarity and tenderness about a place she loves."—Linda Goyette

Calgary Herald

# 2 on Calgary Herald's Non-Fiction Bestsellers list.

Prairie Books Now - Linda Alberta

"In these stark and endearing personal essays, the author celebrates her life and lives fearlessly and fully with three children and a husband, despite a dystopian backdrop. Halton writes with humour, empathy, and spiritual maturity, and she doesn't judge the inner city world outside her yellow house."

Alberta Views Magazine - Judith Kulig

"This book is an excellent resource for communities wanting to create change. It can also be a starting point for discussion with students ... to focus on identifying Who are the vulnerable? Who gets to decide that they’re vulnerable? and What community-based solutions honour lifestyle choices? Little Yellow House shows readers there are ways of working and living together that really do respect diversity. I loved this book."

Kerry Clare

"Great cities and neighbourhoods are containers for stories, just like this book is, and every one of these is delightfully readable and well-written right down to the sentence level. And Halton is not afraid of tension, of ambiguity and uncertainty, something living in the city teaches you, and so each of these stories is suspended in a careful place, not neatly packaged or simply concluded. Which gives their culmination the effect of a walk through a city street, of glimpses, moments, and changing scenes—a most satisfying and delightful excursion."

49th Shelf

"It's an illuminating and hopeful book that asks readers to think again about what makes places liveable, and also provides a wonderful glimpse of Jane Jacobs' proverbial sidewalk ballet."

St. Albert Gazette - Scott Hayes

"It’s books like this that remind us all… that community is more than about special events that happen once a year. It’s about connecting to people often and throughout the year. Doing so can and does result in some wonderful experiences." [Full article at https://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/community-in-a-little-yellow-book-20181010]

Foreword Review - Rachel Jagareski

"Halton clearly delights in interacting with people from all walks of life; her interest and empathy sparkle throughout. Her tone is factual, nonjudgmental, and often wryly funny.Little Yellow Houseis a balanced presentation of a diverse community in transition, complete with faults and growing pains."

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178101896
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	02/01/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged

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