The School of Communication at the University of the Fraser Valley is pleased to be able to help celebrate the publication of Professor Emeritus, Marcella LaFever’s post-retirement book 404 Years: An Autobiography. She came to the School’s retreat on July 25th to do a reading and answer questions, of which many ended up being about the publishing process – not surprising in a university setting.
Using the pen name Cella Anne (a childhood moniker), Dr. LaFever spent the last three years doing a deep dive into genealogy records and archives, along with books and articles about historical events in both Canada and the U.S., to write a book that one of her reviewers called “genre-busting.” Cella says that she wanted to continue her work related to intercultural communication and to Truth and Reconciliation work, because retirement is the perfect time to do things you never have time for when on a teaching schedule.
To attain her goal, the book investigates four lines of her ancestor’s lives beginning in 1621 (404 years ago) as the first Haney landed in the Virginia Colony. From slave owning to being in battles meant to subjugate Indigenous peoples, the story of the Haneys, the LeFevres, the Beaman’s and the Stutevilles move across the continent with the bounty of land grants given for fighting in wars and to establish farms to feed the ever growing number of people wanting a better life. Dr. LaFever creates an historical narrative using facts taken from verified records such as military rolls, census records, wills, and obituaries to create scenes as told through the eyes of generations of the women.
Cella Anne parallel’s her own story in alternating chapters – a story that moved her towards a dedication to issues of social justice. Each chapter and scene starts with the year and the Indigenous territory in which it takes place – just one of the ways she found to offer land acknowledgements along the way.
On Friday September 12, Dr. LaFever will have her book on display and be available to answer questions at the College of Arts Faculty Celebration being help in K150 (the south patio). She says she will have copies available for sale as well. You can also contact her ahead of time at cellaanne@404years-thebook.com to make sure she brings one for you.
Other faculty members celebrating books include Barbara Messamore, Adrea Johnson, Jon Heidt, Andrea Albonico, Noah Schwartz, and Marcel Casarini,
- Other book resources for 404 Years: An Auto/biography can be found here:
- Interactive maps
- Book Club resources
- Book signing events (FB)
- Golden Co-op Radio Interview on Sound Cloud
- Bluesky