Penny is an author, a bookseller, and a storyteller who lives in Victoria, BC. Originally from Toronto, she received a degree in Literature from Trinity College, University of Toronto and on the side, attended the Storytellers’ School of Toronto. For many years, Penny shared tales as a professional storyteller at schools, libraries, conferences, festivals, and on radio and television. She has told stories in an Arabian harem and from inside a bear’s belly – but that is a story in itself.She first heard the true tale of the disaster at Turtle Mountain from another storyteller who suggested that Penny write the story down. Looking at the disaster through the eyes of a young person - one who is desperate to help in the midst of the chaos - helps us see the tragedy in a more positive light. When bad things happen, what can we do? Will we rise to the occasion, or not? Disasters form an interesting slice of Canadian history. They not only change our landscape and our way of life, but also who we are, and who we dare to become.When not immersed in tsunamis, rockslides and ice storms, Penny manages the textbook department of the University of Victoria Bookstore. In her spare time she loves to travel, and collects stories and indigenous fabrics wherever she goes.