Pieman: The Papa D Story, co-authored by June and Dennis Bourgo, is one of those stories that you could listen to sitting by the fireside as Papa D, the nickname for Dennis Bourgo, paints the picture of his adventures in the pie business. Situated on the west coast of Canada, in a beautiful and pristine setting, Papa D, with retirement not far down the road, decides to start up a small home business, baking pies, some of which he remembers from his childhood days. He has to jump many hurdles along the way to finally open up his remote shop, but with a sign at the end of his long driveway, word of mouth soon spreads, and Papa D is selling pies at an ever-growing rate; moreover, he gets requests for certain pies, and also adapts with new recipes, all of which adds to its success. Intermingled with this story, are short and colorful snippets about his life. While this story may appear to be pastoral, it is actually very inspiring. Papa D, threads his own insights and realizations about his life and life in general, throwing in a few inspiring quotes, but most importantly, one walks away from this book with an enhanced appreciation of the beauty of life and the reconciliation we all face, that sometimes, our biggest dreams don’t materialize, but what does come to be, is not a compromise, but a step on that road. I recommend this book. Put on a pot of coffee, or pop the Merlot, sit by the fireside, and just enjoy a good-old fashioned storyteller spinning a tale that many or most can relate to in some way.
About June & Dennis Bourgo
June V. Bourgo was born and educated in Montreal, Quebec. She and her artist/writer husband, Dennis live on Vancouver Island. The island sits off the western coast of British Columbia. Between them, they have three adult children and nine grandchildren. June’s writing is inspired by the natural beauty of the landscape and the Salish Sea that surround her home.
Dennis Bourgo was born and raised in Vernon, in the North Okanagan area of the British Columbia Interior. An entrepreneur, an artist/photographer, and a writer, he lives on Vancouver Island, off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, with his wife, June V. Bourgo, a novelist. They have three children and nine grandchildren.
His love of painting began at a young age. His works reflect his love of the natural beauty of the province he calls home.
Dennis has published two art books: Watercolour Thoughts, Musings in Word and Paint, Book 1
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