An author with family roots from the Valley is coming to the Swan River Library to promote her books. Patricia Hack is the author of two books: What Old Broads Know: Musings of life, grief, job and growing older (but not up) and What Old Broads Know: Volume 2 Older and Broader.
“My family roots in the Swan River Valley go back several generations through the Emmond, Lyons and Qualie families,” said Hack. “My father’s family were homesteaders in the Thunder Hill area near Benito, and we also had family connections around Durban. My grandparents and parents came from the Valley, and although I grew up in Saskatchewan, that part of Manitoba was always very much a part of my life.
“I spent every summer at nearby Madge Lake and made countless trips to Benito, Swan River and the surrounding area. Some of my happiest childhood memories are from there, including going to the Swan River Rodeo.”
Hack resides in Foam Lake, SK and is a retired principal. She has always loved writing but never had plans to be an author.
“My first book, What Old Broads Know, grew out of short pieces I was writing about aging, family, friendship, grief, marriage, widowhood and the humour in ordinary life,” said Hack. “It has come close to Canadian bestseller status, which is far beyond anything I ever expected.
“That led to my second book, What Old Broads Know: Older and Broader, which came out this summer and has also been very well received. Both books are collections of short, easy-to-read essays, some funny, some thoughtful and some a little more poignant. They are really about this stage of life and all the things we understand differently after we have lived a while.
“The books are primarily based on my own experiences and observations, but they certainly reflect the experiences of other women too,” said Hack. “I write about the things women talk about around kitchen tables: marriage, motherhood, friendship, aging, loss, family, changing bodies, changing roles and the absurdities of everyday life. Readers often tell me, ‘That’s exactly how I feel.’ The details may be mine, but the experiences are often very universal.
“I’m 71 now, widowed after a long and very happy marriage, a mother and grandmother, and I think all of those experiences find their way into my writing. One of the nicest surprises has been discovering how many younger readers connect with the books as well. I thought I was writing primarily for women my own age, but apparently some of the things old broads know are useful before you actually become one.”
Hack started off writing essays long before thinking about publishing them in a book. The loss of her husband led her on a path of needing to focus on something instead of grief and this led to publishing her first book.
“Some of the essays that eventually became What Old Broads Know had actually been sitting in my computer for years,” said Hack. “I had always written bits and pieces about life, family, aging and the things that amused or interested me, without necessarily thinking they would become a book. I lost my husband, Jim, in 2023, and in the early spring of 2025 I knew I needed a focus to pull myself out of sadness. I knew I would always live beside grief, but I couldn’t live in it. I began going through those old pieces, writing new ones and putting them together. Somewhere in that process, I realized I wasn’t just collecting essays anymore. I was writing a book.
“Grief was certainly one of the challenges. I had lost Jim after more than fifty years together and was still learning what life looked like without him. Some of the essays were easy and funny, while others took me into places that were still very tender. I wanted to be honest about loss without allowing grief to define the book.
“The actual writing of it came easy for me,” said Hack. “I have always loved words and stories. I discovered that I especially loved the essay form. I could take one small incident or observation and follow it wherever it led me. Finding humour in ordinary life also comes fairly naturally to me. The business side of becoming an author was a much steeper learning curve.”
When it came time to publish her first book, Hack decided to go into the publishing business on her own and learned all about the industry.
“I decided to self-publish and established my own imprint, Heart Press Canada,” said Hack. “Then I had to learn the publishing business as I went, including editing, formatting, printing, distribution and promotion. It has been quite an education. I quickly learned that writing a book and selling a book require two entirely different skill sets.”
After publishing her first book, Hack didn’t waste any time writing and publishing the second one.
“There wasn’t a long gap at all,” said Hack. “The response to What Old Broads Know was far beyond anything I had expected. Women began contacting me, coming to readings and telling me how much they related to the essays. At the same time, I discovered I wasn’t finished writing. I still had things I wanted to say and, apparently, quite a few things I wanted to laugh about. That led to What Old Broads Know: Older and Broader.
“The second book was easier in some ways because by then I knew what kind of writer I was. I had found my voice and I knew my readers. But I was also conscious that I didn’t want simply to repeat the first book. I wanted Older and Broader to explore some different territory while keeping the same mixture of humour, honesty and reflection that readers had responded to in the first book.”
Hack discovered that she loves piecing together a story out of everyday life events and stories that others have shared with her. She has found writing both of her books very rewarding and it has helped to inspire others who are going through similar things in life.
“I love taking something very ordinary and discovering there is a story in it,” said Hack. “I also love hearing from readers. Someone will come up after a reading and tell me that something I wrote made her laugh, reminded her of her mother, helped her through a loss or simply made her realize someone else feels exactly as she does. That connection with readers has probably been the greatest surprise and the greatest joy of the whole experience.”
Hack has been travelling all over Manitoba and Saskatchewan promoting her books. She will be at the Swan River Library on October 13, at 6 p.m. to share her books and have a meet-and-greet with readers.
“I’ve travelled to dozens of communities across Saskatchewan and into Manitoba for readings, speaking engagements, book signings and events,” said Hack. “My travels have taken me from Saskatoon south to Assiniboia and from communities near the Manitoba border across a good portion of Saskatchewan. I have spoken in libraries, galleries, community halls, shops, conferences and all sorts of gatherings. One of the nicest parts of this adventure has been visiting communities. The speaking part has grown and I’m doing some guest speaking at functions, conferences and even to staff in-services.
“Both books are available through Amazon and through a growing number of independent bookstores, gift shops and other retailers across Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In the Swan River area, they are available at the Handcraft Shop in Swan River, the Lucky Dollar in Benito, and Crave in Roblin also carries them. I also sell books personally at readings and speaking engagements.”