This moving episode with Halina St James is a conversation about intergenerational trauma, an exploration of a mother-daughter relationship, the Second World War, family secrets, love and forgiveness. Our conversation is centered around Halina’s new book, the Golden Daughter.

The Golden Daughter takes us on a journey with Halina as she tries to uncover her mother’s past after discovering her mother’s secret stash of letters upon her passing. Halina translated these letters and then embarked on a journey that took her back to Germany, where it all began, to put the pieces together to find out who her mother was. This journey led her to her biological father’s grave and into the embrace of long-lost family.

The Golden Daughter is out now from House of Anansi Press.

Show highlights

0:00 - Introduction

2:44 - The beginning of the past: how the book began

7:32 - Managing the emotional toll of writing a painful memoir

12:04- The structure of truth

14:37 - Stark abandonment: Finding family and belonging

19:00 - The irony of secret keepers and the truth teller

26:32- A journalist’s perspective on visions

30:25 - Finding closure

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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3slKw8v3_7o

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Guest’s links

Buy The Golden Daughter: https://houseofanansi.com/products/the-golden-daughter?srsltid=AfmBOoqwfY-cF78zLf3R0rJ84FfYkPp0JHAVwpJ3BAknPoCPQY2no-03

Find out more about Halina: www.halinastjames.com

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Host’s links

Find out more about the show: https://www.journeyoftheart.com/

Follow Journey of the Art on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/journeyoftheartpod/

Book a one-on-one with Lola: https://wordcaps.com/coaching/