The Pelee Project : One Woman's Escape from Urban Madness

by Jane Christmas

Back in 2000, Jane Christmas was, like millions of others, an exhausted single working mother with a punishing agenda of work, domestic, and parenting duties. Weekdays were an urban triathlon, weekends evaporated into mile-long to-do lists. Jane found herself drained, living beyond her means emotionally, physically, and financially. She dreamed of a simpler life, but, like everyone else, worried about the consequences of disconnecting from the frenetic working world. A highway accident changed all that. After walking away from a crash that should have killed her, she did the unthinkable and booked a three-month leave of absence from her job, put her home up for sale, and moved with her 10-year-old daughter to Pelee Island, a remote community of 180 in the middle of Lake Erie. Does the absence of a pedal-to-the-metal schedule freak her out, or does it transform her from den mother to Zen mother? Jane published a 15-part series about her sabbatical in the National Post, and her adventure caused an immediate and huge buzz. Readers were captivated by someone who had the nerve to put the brakes on life. The Pelee Project is Jane's full memoir of her hilarious faux pas, anecdotes, and epiphanies on the island, all told in that refreshingly honest voice that attracted so many to her columns. The Pelee Project is an inspiring tale of personal transformation and self-discovery.

This edition is no longer in print.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Travel, Biography

289 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this audiobook. It was a constant struggle because the narrative voice (not the narrator) was off-putting to me and I found it tedious to separate that from the actual message of the story. The story was appealing, but her attempts at humor (and there were many) just fell flat and they were just plain awkward. That part was 2 stars but I will add a star because the message was appealing.

[Craig Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pelee Project: One Woman's Escape from Urban Madness is Jane Christmas's account of her three months spent on Pelee Island during the winter of 2000. Stressed out at work and by her daily commute to Toronto from Hamilton, Christmas was feeling the urgent need to get away from the rat race. After previous visits to Pelee Island, Christmas felt the call of the Lake Erie island as the perfect place to relax. Accompanied by her eight-year-old daughter Zoë, Christmas left her two sons and boyfriend behind and braved the winter on a virtually abandoned Pelee Island.

I discovered this book when I visited the island this past summer. I spoke to plenty of locals who claimed that only a hearty seventy souls stuck it out all winter; if that number is true then it is about half the winter population from twenty years ago when Christmas was there. Even so, it's still a tiny fraction of the summer population. I lapped up her story because I could identify with it so intimately since I had also decided--twenty years ago, as well--to take a leave of absence from work. I wanted to study the Finnish language in Helsinki. It was a break I needed and it made me a stronger and more confident person. It was one of the best decisions I had ever made. However Christmas found that those around her were not always supportive of her plans to take some time off:

"What really ticked them off, it seemed, was not that I had dared to dream but that I had dared to turn dream into reality." 

I recall the quizzical stares I received when I told some people that I wanted to study the Finnish language during the summer of 2000. "Are you Finnish?" and "What could you possibly use that language for?" were typical reactions. Some people were quite thrilled to hear about my desire to do it and maybe I inspired some dreaming in others. Christmas used the end of her book to stress the importance of taking time off such as in leaves of absence and the need for more companies to grant such leaves to their employees. 

Christmas arranged to transport her car to the island before the ferry discontinued its service over the winter. She rented a house from a travelling islander and enrolled Zoë in the school, but she couldn't plan everything in advance. There was one important thing that slipped her mind: it was a culture shock to find herself without adequate groceries and a store that wouldn't be open for a couple more days. You will laugh with her as she regales you with her first attempt to use the island's gas pump. Yet she adapted and quickly made friends who were generous to share and help out.

Her descriptions were stunning. The stillness of a wintry island in the middle of Lake Erie--the white landscape surrounded by white ice topped with a white sky--made for an image that literally gave me chills as I read it. She experienced sunsets that were unlike any she had ever seen before. I witnessed such a pink explosion of sun over the summer. With life at a slower pace, she could pay attention to the birds and identify each species--and plenty of birds stop at the island during their migrations. Conversations mattered and people were more honest with her. It was easy for her to feel at home among her islander friends when she developed the skills to listen:

"I had long lost the capacity to listen--really listen--to my children or to anyone; I had perfected a habit of intently looking at people with compassion-filled eyes while simultaneously making a mental list of things I had to pick up at the store."  

Christmas could see the positive, calmer changes that had come over her. She had developed a closer relationship with Zoë and even her own mother, who had stopped by the island on a visit, remarked at her transformation. It was as though Christmas had been baptized in Lake Erie. While she was on Pelee, she remarked: 

"I wished I could live my life over and make decisions based on the quality of my life rather than on the elusiveness of some imaginary career quest mapped out by media messages, social expectations, and a myopic women's movement that ignored the richness of a rural life."

My brief time on Pelee Island ignited a spark to see more of the island during the summer and now that I have read about the winter there I think I would enjoy a wind-battered snowy stay too. 

[cellomerl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mildly enjoyed this very mildly interesting book. The writing was was featherweight, and it lacked tension and resolution. It also had little of the sort of dry, clever humour and spontaneity that I've come to expect from travel writing. The author, eager for the reader to believe that she'd gotten closer to nature in her foray out of town, made me grit my teeth when she referred to snakes as "slimy", a fallacy that you're supposed to know is wrong by the age of six, and betraying a much lower standard than I'd expect from a former National Post journalist. However, it's amusing that smartphones and Google weren't yet pervasive when this book lamenting "the rat race" was written - hmmmm, how much worse is it now? - and it has sparked my interest in someday visiting Pelee Island.

[Silvia Hajas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Join Jane Christmas on a journey as she takes you through her transformation from the rat race to the slow pace by embarking on a 3 month sabbatical with her 10 yo daughter. A spiritual journey ensues on the island of Pelee, Canada and Jane is rejuvenated and reborn. She discovers what really matters to her and becomes present to her children. Along the way Jane forms a wonderful bond with her thriving and blossoming daughter. Her future holds the promise of a less stressful and more peaceful road as she refuses to step back on the merry-go-round of urban madness.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Jane Christmas's earlier books; her children are quite young, she's divorced, and living a very busy urban life with a job that places many demands on her. One day, she has a bad car accident on the highway, is mercifully uninjured, but finds herself beginning to wonder what life is really all about. In order to review and change her life, she spends several months on Pelee Island. There are some aspects of the book that I didn't like (such as her lack of interest in the preservation of endangered species) but I do admire Christmas's ability to describe her driving desire to change her life for the better. You don't have to have been in a high-powered urban job to relate to that - many of us want to slow down, reflect on our internal life, and enjoy the world around us in a simpler, less competitive way. It's the process of doing this that intrigues me. A sojourn on a metaphorical Pelee Island sounds pretty good to me! I also like the way she uses a day walk as a way to reflect spiritually in addition to the physical benefits - something I myself do daily.

[Jane Mulkewich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is already about 20 years old (and it is funny to think about how much MORE of a rat race our "urban madness" has become with smartphone technology, which this book largely predates); I am on a roll with reading books by this author, and getting to know her a little better with each book. (There is a Hamilton connection - where she lived for some years). After a car accident which shook her up somewhat, she decides to go to Pelee Island for three months in the middle of winter (January, February and March) with her then-ten-year-old daughter, leaving her two older sons behind with their father. The book makes me want to visit Pelee Island someday (I have never been), and also provides encouragement to look for ways to simplify and slow down our lives wherever we are. I enjoyed reading this in the midst of our second pandemic winter!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir of a stressed-out single mother's sabbatical from the Toronto area to Pelee Island for three months was an interesting and easy read. The author learned a number of important lessons which include:

- don't prejudge people
- don't let other people deter you from your heart's desires
- it's wise to get to know your neighbours
- seek out good, upbeat people
- when you humbly accept blame, you diffuse your opponent's need to blame you and come out the winner
- say hello to strangers
- show flexibility and forgiveness when dealing with others. Someday you may need them to return the favour.

I would add one more lesson which is that someone on a tight budget shouldn't spend $600 ($840 today) on a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes.

[Heidi Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I have very little in common with Jane Christmas, aside from living in the same city, her books seem to resonate with me. I don't have any kids or ex-husbands to get away from but I work and live in this crazy world and like many of her readers, the idea of escape is appealing. I love that she took a sabbatical on Pelee Island. It's very Canadian. It also sounds like a great place to escape will still being relatively close to "civilization". I enjoyed how she wound the history of the island into her own story and introduced us to a whole cast of characters. The book is a bit dated now which makes sense since it's 20 years old but the themes stand the test of time so I would still recommend it.

[Ribbqah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story of Jane Christmas and her daughter Zoe living on Pelee Island for several months during the 2001 off season (winter). Our family has vacationed on Pelee since the late 1980’s during July and/ or August (depending on the year and ages of children). I recognized many of the people although some have died now. Our last visit to Pelee was in 2024 with children and older grandchildren. It has changed quite a bit but is still lovely and we plan to return in 2026 again.

[Nikki Everts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book I read by Jane Christmas - recommended by an Anglican nun during a retreat some eight years ago. This memoir follows the author as she and her daughter exile themselves from the hustle and bustle of busy city lives to Pelee Island (that boasts vineyards, a special amphibian, and being the most southerly part of Canada). A useful voyeuristic peak for those, like me, who have thought about retreating from it all.

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neither good nor bad.
I do think I was expecting more from this, though.
The writing itself was not great, considering she was a writer for the National Post.
Just as I feel bad for judging someone in their life, I feel like the authour went to the Island and tried to impose her views on what she saw, from what she was looking for.
It would be interesting to know if she still goes to the Island and/or if she ended up getting a house there.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Was a fun read. She’s funny and a good writer but her project to escape her life for four months (while appealing) is something few people could afford to do. Was a little hard to reconcile her privilege to do this while basically abandoning 2 of her 3 kids (they were with their dad but it was still something I couldn’t fathom doing for so long).

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Christmas decided a personal retreat from everything is in order. She picked a most beautiful spot but perhaps not the best time of year. I enjoyed her take on "Island Time", having enjoyed many short stays on Pelee Island in my travels. I love the island and enjoyed reading about it from another outsider's perspective.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up in Toronto I was familiar with places mentioned in this book. I fell in love with the idea of the author living on Pelee Island over the winter. Talk about culture shock! I would read the book again in a heartbeat.

[Connie Lukey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this little gem when googling Canadian women fiction writers. I enjoyed it lots and would enjoy reading more from this author.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second half dragged. Spiritual became religious.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable memoir - laughed out loud at times and nodded along at discovered truths. I recently visited Pelee Island for the first time this summer and truly enjoyed the journey - it was nice to listen to this after the visit with some knowledge of the island. Zoe's diary in the epilogue was a really nice addition.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, relatable book that pushes for the necessity of both a more simplified lifestyle & sabbaticals from general society.

Suggested reading while visiting Pelee island.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read of Jane Christmas, an author recommended by my sister, and I must say I enjoyed the book! Jane and her daughter Zoe spent three months, January - Februrary - March, living on Pelee Island in 2011. Jane wrote weekly columns about the experience for the National Post. Her decision to take this three month sabbatical from a salaried job was framed as a spiritual journey. Her book is topical and introspective. I love the transition from busy urban person to slowed down reflective rural person and especially appreciate her final reflections and tips for slowing down.

I could have read this book in a weekend but it lent itself well to the past month I have had where I could read one or two chapters at the end of the day and not lose anything when I picked it up the next evening. In fact it really should be read more slowly in keeping with the experience the book presents.

I think this is an important book to read at this time in history when we are ramping up to a faster and faster pace and taking convenience for granted.

I have three more of Jane's books on my Kobo and that is where I am going next.

[Susan Earle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Jane Christmas' for some time and have always wanted to read her first book. This is the story of one woman who realized that she was at the end of her rope (or close to it) and decided to do something positive about it. She took a sabbatical and in the process learned some important things about herself.

I've since read her next two books, and am looking forward to her most recent.

Life is a journey and reading about the journeys that other women take, is always something I appreciate. I thank the women who are brave enough to share their journeys in print.

[Erika Nerdypants · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I read it a few years ago. At the time I was looking after six kids, working full time, going to school part-time and taking care of a house and garden. I could only dream of taking a year off to live simply in nature, reflect on my choices so far and contemplate my future. The book tells Jane's story of doing exactly that, and lets the reader follow along. Sigh. Must read this again.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and well-written memoir. This book is an inspiration for those who are running too fast trying to be perfect employees, parents, neighbours and friends and also for those who are transitioning to retirement. Shows what good things can happen when one "goes with the flow" and is open to new opportunities and friendships. Also demonstrates the healing power of solitude and silence.

[Cindy Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. While a sabbatical from life isn't for everyone, the opportunity to stop and reflect on what is important in life is something we should all do and Jane provide good insight for that journey.

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Loved reading about her journey. Disagreed with the theory of some of the retreat aspects. Happy to hear that it lead her into a new life...but I had to go to her website to find that out.

[Mridula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light, fun read. Christmas is an engaging writer and I burst out laughing on more than one occasion. I'm left curious about Pelee and the inhabitants that call the island home. Overall it's a good book.

[Carol-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

After spending some time on Pelee Island in the summer we were enchanted by the island and had the same thoughts about living on the island as we boarded the ferry. This book is topical read with many people are trying to simplify their lives. A light and interesting read.

[Cathy]

Mentioned on CBC and compared to Eat, Love and Pray. It's a memoir and is about a life changing moment.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational

[Vanessa Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Jane Christmas memoir I read - and I loved it! I love Jane's honest and comedic voice! Not to mention her bravery!