Debut Memoir from Linda Bisson
Story by Michael Seguin
Photography by Vito Casella from Xtraordinary Photography
It is an unquestioned work of nonfiction, yet is written with an enchanting, almost poetic lyricism. Its setting includes the fjords of New Zealand and the deserts of Arizona, but the focus never strays too far from the heart. It ultimately explores the great love between its author and her late husband Don, but rather than dwelling on his loss it instead celebrates each moment they spent together.
Moreover, Linda herself is a difficult woman to pin down. She has spent the majority of her career working in finance yet always maintained literary aspirations. As a child, her younger sister noticed her writing and encouraged her to compete in a short story contest. Linda declined, disinterested in the attention.
Imagine her surprise when her sister came home one day with a brand-new bicycle—the first prize!
“She entered my work and won!” Linda laughs.
During her fifty years working in finance, Linda penned several articles about her profession, many of which were published in magazines and newspapers.
Later, Linda became addicted to blogging after some encouragement from her grandson, who is himself also a writer.
“Don and I were always big travelers,” Linda states. “In 2013, we’d planned a two-month trip across North America on our Harleys. But my grandson was beside himself! He said, ‘We’re not going to know where you are or if you’re okay’ So, he set me up with a blog about our journeys.”
These stories formed the basis for what would eventually become Linda’s memoir.
Then, in November 2022, after 16 magical years at each other’s side, Don unfortunately passed after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
Emboldened by this loss, Linda decided to compile her and Don’s life, love, and travels together into her memoir: Sixteen Years in Autumn.
What’s more, aside from being the central focus, Don himself was also one of the primary agents forcing Linda into her writing chair.
“I was intent on writing this book,” Linda states. “It helped me out of bed on those cold, dreary mornings after Don’s passing. But I had started compiling this novel together shortly before our final trip together—walking across Spain in the Camino de Santiago—
the year he died. He had been tremendously supportive of me. He said, ‘You’ve always wanted to write a book. You’ve got all the information! Just do it!’”
On his deathbed, Don made Linda promise that she would finish her novel.
“He was quite ill at the end,” Linda recalls. “I had read some of my early blog entries from our trips to him in the hospice. He told me I needed to finish the book.”
The novel—as all novels are—proved a significant undertaking. Linda’s first draft clocked in at over at what would have been almost 800 manuscript pages!
“I understand this thing people call writer’s block” Linda laughs. “Sometimes I’d sit down to type and I wouldn’t like how I worded something. I didn’t want to just state things so matter-of-factly, like I had in my blog. I wanted to bookify the passage. That became my new guiding philosophy. Bookifying. Sometimes all it takes is a single word or phrase to change the whole flavour of what you’re saying.”
Thanks to the feedback from some early readers and a very talented editor, she managed to pare it down to a much more manageable 400 pages.
“Halfway through that process, a friend met me with a designer who later made the cover,” Linda states. “That was hugely inspiring for me, as well. I didn’t know anything about publication, but I knew I would have to publish this book myself. That designer also connected me with a poet who edited the manuscript with me. Then the poet recommended a formatter! It was quite the process. I was able to gather this whole little team in my corner to make this book the best it could be.”
Ultimately, compiling her and Don’s travels into a manuscript proved an intensely rewarding experience for Linda.
“It was tremendous therapy,” Linda explains. “It brought back amazing memories of those sixteen years. I would laugh and I would cry. It helped focus me when I was in the throes of my grief. When I was off on vacation, I would sometimes sit by the water at night with a legal pad and just write down whatever words appeared to me.”
Sixteen Years in Autumn was released in December 2025. Thus far, reactions to the novel have been glowing.
Though while all the positive feedback, she’s received has meant a great deal to her, perhaps the most meaningful reviews came from those who knew Don themselves.
“My son and his wife live in Florida,” Linda explains. “So, I don’t see them as often as I would like. My daughter-in-law Teresa added a wonderful review to others on Amazon that reduced me to tears.”
“This is a wonderful memoir filled with honesty, reflection, and love,” Teresa writes. “Linda Bisson shares her life experiences in a way that feels very personal and relatable. Her stories about family, relationships, and the journeys we all go through in life are touching and inspiring. The writing is sincere and thoughtful, and you can really feel the emotion behind each chapter.”
“I called her that night and she said, ‘I meant every word of it, Mom!’” Linda recalls. “‘We feel you in this book. On every page.’”
Bolstered by this experience, Linda is already hard at work on her next novel.
“Don and I shared so much joy with each other,” Linda states. “I miss him so much. But rather than dwelling on the loss, I’d prefer to celebrate the blessings.”
Sixteen Years in Autumn: A Memoir of Life, Love & Journeys is currently available on Amazon. In addition, there will be a book signing at the Lakeshore Indigo on June 20th.
Published in the May/June 2026 Edition.
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