Rachel Devins was known by many as a vivacious, spirited, deeply thoughtful, intelligently witty, and compassionate woman who had a gift for writing and dreamed of publishing.
Her book “we root, we leaf” is a collection of her poems, essays and emails published by family and friends to fulfill her wish after cancer took her beautiful life.
It is available for purchase on amazon.ca and amazon.com. All book royalties are a gift to Montreal’s West Island Cancer Wellness Centre (www.wicwc.com), which played an important role in encouraging Rachel’s writing on her journey with cancer, mortality, and her love of life.
Deepest gratitude to esteemed Canadian poet, and Rachel’s teacher-mentor, Lorna Crozier (www.lornacrozier.ca) for editing Rachel’s poems. Additional editors are Rachel’s sister Susan Devins, and dear friends Regina Pereira and Bonnie Thornborough.
The book “we root, we leaf” is independently published. Book art and design by Bonnie Thornborough.
The book’s story and cause are featured in this Montreal Gazette article:
Book published posthumously inspired by cancer journey
Proceeds from book sales will raise funds for the West Island Cancer Wellness Centre in Kirkland
Please visit our About and Support pages to learn more about this project, cause, and how you can be part of it.
From Rachel’s poem Lesions:
“What is growing in those lesions? Are they pockets of dreams trying to pump out love and poetry as fast as they can? / I ask my neurons. They sit quietly, offering only / silence.”
From her poem Beyond hope and fear there is…
“a wig to jazz / up my children / whip off / for a laugh, suspend / the story of my being / ill, let me giggle / at men who / look right / at me, hope / it’s not because / i put my hair / on crooked.”
From the Foreword:
“This book in your hands is our gift to Rachel—our gift to her memory, her legacy, her spirit, and her beautiful wish. And, dear reader, this book is Rachel’s gift to you—the one she wanted very much to give.”
werootweleafbyracheldevins.blog 