Here, Now: A Pacific Northwest Historical Fiction Series

by Sylvia Bourgeois

From the best-selling author of True Moxie comes Sylvia Bourgeois' Here, Now—an intimate portrait of love, loss, and the unexpected beauty of second chances.

In the wilderness, she found her true natureBritish Columbia, 1924. Eva Roberts dreamed of blazing trails as a forester, not following a man to the edge of civilization. But when an unplanned pregnancy derails her ambitions, she finds herself in a remote logging camp, reluctantly married to her college sweetheart Thomas.

As Eva struggles to carve out her place in the male-dominated world of timber, tragedy strikes. Faced with a heartbreaking loss and her career in tatters, she must decide whether to abandon her new home or stay and fight for the life – and love – she never knew she wanted.

Caught between the smoke-filled saloons of Seattle and the mist-shrouded forests of Vancouver Island, Here, Now is a sweeping tale of resilience, redemption, and self-discovery set against the majestic backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. With rich historical detail and unforgettable characters, this epic saga follows one woman's journey to reconcile ambition with family, finding purpose in the most unexpected of places.

Part of the Island Echoes series, Here, Now can be read independently. Each book stands on its own, so start anywhere in the series to uncover stories featuring strong women in untraditional roles, celebrating the vibrant setting and industry of the Pacific Northwest, past and present.

Here, Now is a work of fiction, but deals with real issues, including stillbirth, injury, and death. For more content warnings, please go to But beware of spoilers!

455 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2024

About the author

Sylvia Bourgeois was born and raised on northern Vancouver Island, in some of British Columbia’s most beautiful small communities. Sylvia now lives in Fanny Bay, and she considers her family, friends, and time outside to be most important to her. If she isn’t working her day job or on a boat with her husband, you can find her creating fine foods in her kitchen. True Moxie is Sylvia’s first young adult novel.

Reviews

[Tanya Misener · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Sylvia Bourgeois' first book, "True Moxie", so much that I was excited to crack open "Here, Now", her second novel set in the vibrant Pacific Northwest. While "True Moxie" was geared towards YA readers, "Here, Now" sits squarely in the category of Historical Romantic Fiction.

Protagonist Eva, the first Canadian woman to obtain a Forestry degree, struggles to be accepted in a timber industry dominated by men. She grapples with her desire to be recognized and respected in her field as she faces the limiting societal expectations of Canadian women in the 1920s. She is definitely unconventional for her time and has the ambition, talent, and confidence to see her dreams through. Until her biology and societal expectations throw a wrench in her plans.

The book highlights her growth and self-discovery as she deals with pregnancy, motherhood, responsibility, loss, grief, ambition, love, and self-respect. This journey unfolds against a historically detailed backdrop. I loved the descriptions not only of Northern Vancouver Island and Alert Bay, but of Seattle with its streetcars, horse-drawn delivery wagons, and Smith Towers' recently developed "high speed elevators". I also enjoyed the nod to walking through trails in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC to the beloved "Hollow Tree" -- a 1,000 year old Western Red Cedar still popular in the park today.

That said, I found it hard to sympathize with Eva. With the exception of how she deals with the long-lasting emotions of a devastating loss in motherhood, I found her to be, at times, selfish, inflexible, judgmental and inattentive -- characteristics I have trouble rooting for regardless of gender. Husband Thomas, on the other hand, was a far more nuanced and sympathetic character.

[Kelly C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book Sylvia has written that is based on Vancouver Island.
This one is set in 1924 and is about a young woman, Eva, who dreams of working in the forest industry. She struggles against the traditional thinking that only men should have degrees in this field, while she should get married and have children.
Due to a drunken mistake, she ends up marrying her friend from school, Thomas, and moves from Seattle to a small camp on Vancouver Island.

Eva's is determined to be more than a housewife. She has her ups and downs but comes to love the life she has made at Camp 1.
I loved every minute of this book.

I had the lucky chance to hear her read and explain how she researched every piece of this book, and there was so much thought put into it.
I look forward to more books from this author!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, the unbelievably rugged and breathtakingly beautiful Pacific Northwest old growth forest is the background for this drama. And drama is the correct word to use for this narrative. It revolves around the life and decisions made by a highly educated and very attractive young lady, Miss Eva Roberts as she single-mindedly chases her one and only dream. Honestly, there were times in this story that I just shook my head. How could anyone so smart make such bad choices over and over again? This emotional story will have you loving some characters and despising others. With a plot that was constantly surprising me and quirky, interesting characters, everything about this book was just perfect even if Eva was so slow to realize her true treasure and real blessing right in front of her nose. Five Big Stars!!!!!

[Pat Desgagnés · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first, I thought this book would be a prequel to the author’s previous book True Moxie. Even though it was not what I had expected, I was immediately drawn into Eva’s story. The author speaks to the challenges Eva faces pursuing a non-traditional career for a woman in her era, while also maintaining a balance with the demands of family. I laughed and cried along with Eva as I read her story.

The author paints an amazing picture of the living conditions in the early settlement days of remote Northern Vancouver Island. I felt as if I was in the forest with Eva and the others in her community.

It was a hard book to put down and I was sad to finish it at the end. After reading Here, Now and True Moxie, I hope that the author will soon write another book!

[Claudia Van Doorninck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is Sylvia's second novel set in North Vancouver Island. A favourite genre of mine, it is historical fiction told from the perspective of a courageous young woman. It is an engaging read. You become immersed in the challenging environment and the struggle against the traditional stereotypes for women in the 1900's. It is an aspirational story of strength and resilience that engages you from start to finish.
I loved this book!

[Barbara Birchall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow start but improved

Interesting concept, a woman ahead of her times. Re-forresting the land after the trees have been cut down. I found it quite emotion the desecration of virgin Forrest for the wood. A hard life for the men and even more so for the women who accompanied them.

[Margaret R Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book. So well written. Highly recommend the read if you enjoy historical fiction in the early 20th century after WW1.

[Joyce Lorenzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of emotion, heartbreak, and regret. It is very well written.

[Elinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up to 3.5 stars. A well-written book with lots of interesting details about life in a British Columbia logging camp in 1924. The story has a satisfying resolution, which is always a win.