Love, Pamela: A Memoir of Prose, Poetry, and Truth

“The cabin was steps to the sand. I was good at running across barnacles barefoot, sprinting over them like they were hot coals. I’m not sure my feet even touched the jagged shells. The pebbly sand, rocks, crabs, tide pools, starfish: a wonderland of rich and healthy sea life on our doorstep. My playground. My world was the ocean. And I always had a toe in it.”

Anderson fondly recalls her childhood growing up on the coast of Vancouver Island, where she delighted in exploring the beaches outside her home. By sharing her early memories of exploring nature, the author characterizes herself as a nature and animal lover.

“My parents were always quick to say things like, If only we had money, things would be better. But I already knew then that it would take much more than that.”

The author reflects on the tensions in her parents’ marriage, which unraveled due to her father’s drinking and physical abuse. By discussing her parents’ relationship and their difficulties, the author sets the stage for Forgiveness as a Catalyst for Personal Growth.

“Gerry and I were a bit confused, coming from an island. In Kamloops, there was no beach, no ocean, no rocky mountains. It was dry, with hills full of grasshoppers. All we had was a parking lot to play in, where Gerry and I met some local kids […] Close by, I found a horse ranch and an orchard. I’d climb up the wooden fence and reach over and pick apples, holding as many as I could fit in my scooped-up T-shirt. Then I’d go hang on the ranch fence and feed the horses.”

Anderson’s life changed overnight when her mother relocated the family inland to Kamloops. By sharing her memories of taking solace in animals and nature, the author characterizes herself as a sensitive person who has a special bond with animals which has continued to this day, foreshadowing her later activism with PETA.