I brought Joanne White’s first novel, Bay Island Girl, on a recent vacation, expecting to dig my toes into the sand and let the breeze carry me through the pages. I don’t usually read the crime genre, but thought it would be a great vacation read. I wasn’t expecting an in-depth look into the psyche of a female police officer suffering from the same debilitating brain disease as I do, PTSD. Compassion is a driving force in this text. Constable Annie Gillis draws us into her world and the constant need to prove herself in a male-dominated profession, while trying to heal her mind and retain her humour and kindness.
I was drawn to Annie, her hunger to distance herself from her thoughts, the constant pull of wanting relief, and the fear of what that might mean for who she is and her profession. Having just left my own profession due to the struggle that PTSD has caused, I was extremely moved by this work. Sometimes books find you when you need them the most and gift you exactly what you need. Hope.
— Jenna Timmons-Oikawa (she/her) is an emerging writer of Saulteaux and mixed settler heritage. She lives on the traditional, unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation near Ottawa, ON. Jenna lives with her loving husband, Grant, and their mischievous dog, Morty, and strives for a calm and gentle life.
You can read Jenna Timmons-Oikawa's poems and essay "Ketamine Therapy" in Issue 308 (Summer 2026) Disability: The Revolution. Order the issue now:
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