Claudette Bouman
Claudette Bouman is an author and retired educator from Barbados. She is based in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two children. Her memoir, Failing Forward in Saarland, is slated for publication in Summer, 2024.
In 2022, I received the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Award to work on my memoir.
Claudette Bouman’s book, Failing Forward, is much more than a memoir. Rather, it is a mesmerisingly poetic exploration of life’s wonders and difficulties, flowing seamlessly between the author’s memories from her youth in native Barbados, her life in her adopted country of Canada, and her and her family’s exciting but intimidating adjustments to being new temporary residents of Germany.
Claudette Bouman’s book, Failing Forward, is much more than a memoir. Rather, it is a mesmerisingly poetic exploration of life’s wonders and difficulties, flowing seamlessly between the author’s memories from her youth in native Barbados, her life in her adopted country of Canada, and her and her family’s exciting but intimidating adjustments to being new temporary residents of Germany.
R.F. Cook, author of Eadaili and The Wanderer Duology.
Failing Forward in Saarland is a beautifully honest examination of Bouman’s time spent living abroad in Saarland, Germany. It does not shy away from topics such as language barriers, cultural differences, or family dynamics. Bouman manages to carry the past forward in her work, frequently referencing tales from her time spent living in Barbados, and later, Canada. The effect is an informative perspective on an ex-pat’s life in Germany that is engaging and full of heart.
Failing Forward in Saarland is a beautifully honest examination of Bouman’s time spent living abroad in Saarland, Germany. It does not shy away from topics such as language barriers, cultural differences, or family dynamics. Bouman manages to carry the past forward in her work, frequently referencing tales from her time spent living in Barbados, and later, Canada. The effect is an informative perspective on an ex-pat’s life in Germany that is engaging and full of heart.
Jen Colclough, poet
A riveting book that I couldn’t stop reading. Along with depicting challenges faced by a Canadian family while living for a year in Saarland, Germany, the author includes snippets of history and geography, which I found fascinating. Though I sometimes felt as if I was a voyeur peeking out my window into someone else’s, I enjoyed every moment...
A riveting book that I couldn’t stop reading. Along with depicting challenges faced by a Canadian family while living for a year in Saarland, Germany, the author includes snippets of history and geography, which I found fascinating. Though I sometimes felt as if I was a voyeur peeking out my window into someone else’s, I enjoyed every moment...
Cathy MacKenzie, author of Wolves Don’t Knock.
Click here to read an excerpt from chapter 1 of Failing Forward in Saarland, coming in Summer 2024.
In 2021, I was honoured to recieve the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship through the Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia.
Check out my article on Macleans about my former teacher, Wendy Donawa, and why I became a teacher.
Check out my article on Macleans about my former teacher, Wendy Donawa, and why I became a teacher.