Our Story (So Far).
Life's curveballs may not always be fun.
But a little reflection can reveal hidden joys.
Pat Butler is a born-again author.
As a lifelong lover of numbers and precision, who began her career teaching high school physics and mathematics, this came as a shock to her more than anyone.
She later joined the world of manufacturing as a consultant who could turn rigorous but confusing procedures into plain language for training purposes.
Her first book, Write This Way (2009), was a manual to help any manager or business specialist write more clearly.
As writing began creeping into her recreational time, Pat found she preferred non-fiction to crafting storylines.
She also found the greatest rewards often lay in blending genres.
Following retirement and divorce, she took a 'Life Stories' writing course. This led to the publication of her first novel about a woman moving on from the devastating end of a decades-long marriage to the discovery of new marital bliss.
Bitten by the book bug--and having discovered a fascinating set of letters home written by her 24-year-old mother on a grand tour of Europe in 1930-31-- she took a stab at turning these into a fictional narrative, published as Through Her Opera Glasses (2021).
More recently, she and Toronto divorce lawyer David Frenkel co-authored a workbook-type resource to help readers recover from separation, divorce, or relationship breakdown, published as My Divorce Journal (2022).
Whenever Pat wants to figure out what matters on a tricky or delightful topic, she writes about it.
She lives in Toronto with her husband-- who falls in the "delightful" category.
Our Books.
Available for purchase on Amazon, Indigo, and at your favourite independent bookstore
Thanks For Leaving Me (2017)
Stunned by the departure of her husband after 40 years, Emma embarks on a journey to rediscover herself -- and love.
For family privacy reasons, Pat published this novel about the end of one marriage and the beginning of a new one under the pen name Emma Bruce in 2017.
Having since established that most of the details regarding 'Marriage One' are fiction, she has since declared herself to be its author.
Learn more
Through Her Opera Glasses (2021)
A young Montrealer can barely repress her excitement to embark on a grand tour of Europe without her family -- but in the darkening days of 1931, what is she stepping into?
August 1930. Storm clouds are brewing across Europe, heralding the rise of fascism and the upheavals of the Great Depression.
These realities can’t stop 24-year-old Betty Harbert from making the most of her tour of the continent. Sailing from Montreal with her wealthy Aunt Barbie and cousin Win, Betty attends a Parisian finishing school, tours Europe (twice), picking up and spreading joie-de-vivre wherever she goes-- and possibly finding love in the shadows of looming conflict.
Based on actual letters home found by Betty's daughter after her death sixty years later, this novel offers an exciting glimpse of inter-war life in some of Europe’s great cities, through the eyes of a vibrant young woman who never failed to appreciate the magnificent world around her--even if as its growing darkness escaped her.
Whether she’s riding around the English countryside in her date’s Morris Cowley sports car, at the salon getting a Marcel wave, or touring the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens, Betty’s wit and warmth come through in every line of this account of her adventure abroad.
Learn More
My Divorce Journal (2022)
A seasoned family lawyer and a recent divorcee provide a guided path for moving forward.
Anyone whose marriage or common-law relationship has ended usually feels bewildered and adrift.
"What just happened and how can I make sure it doesn't happen again?" they wonder.
Family lawyer David Frenkel and author Pat Butler have each personally experienced divorce and gone on to find love again. Building on David's legal knowledge and Pat's personal experiences, they look at divorce from both sides of the desk: a divorce lawyer seated opposite a distraught client. This book walks through the five recovery stages that follow relationship breakdown: reacting to upheaval, managing logistics, taking care of your children, navigating your feelings, and moving forward.
Pairing guidance with a blank writing journal creates a roadmap to your new, fulfilling future. By exploring your pain, yearnings, and priorities with refreshing candour, your path to moving forward will come into focus. Written exercises and worksheets highlight your accomplishments to date.
Learn More
