They Left Us Everything

After the death of her elderly mother, Plum Johnson returns to Point O' View, her family's 23-room home on Lake Ontario, to sort through decades of belongings and memorabilia. The daunting task of clearing out the house stretches from weeks into months as she discovers letters, photographs, and artifacts that tell the story of her British mother, American father, and their life together. Through the process of organizing, discarding, and preserving family items, Johnson pieces together a clearer understanding of her parents' complex relationship and her own childhood. Her exploration of the house becomes an investigation into family history, including her parents' experiences during World War II and their eventual settlement in Canada. The memoir moves between past and present as Johnson works to reconcile her mixed feelings about her mother, their sometimes difficult relationship, and her role as caregiver in her mother's final years. Her discoveries in the house lead her to unexpected revelations about both of her parents and herself. This memoir examines how physical objects carry emotional weight and family history, while exploring broader themes of aging, duty, and the complicated bonds between parents and children. The story speaks to the universal experience of loss and the process of making peace with the past.

Readers describe this memoir as a relatable account of cleaning out a family home after parents' deaths. Many connect with Johnson's portrayal of sorting through decades of belongings while processing grief. Readers appreciated: - Real emotions and family dynamics - Details about the history found in everyday objects - Balance of humor with serious moments - Treatment of aging parents and end-of-life care Common criticisms: - Too much focus on privileged lifestyle and large lakefront home - Some found the pacing slow in parts - Wished for more emotional depth rather than descriptions of objects Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (250+ ratings) Reader quotes: "Like going through my own parents' home" - Amazon reviewer "Helped me prepare for what's ahead with my aging parents" - Goodreads reviewer "Could have been shorter without all the house details" - Goodreads reviewer

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🏠 This memoir chronicles the author's journey through 16 rooms of her childhood home, taking 6 months to sort through 50 years of family possessions after her mother's death. 📝 Plum Johnson won the RBC Taylor Prize for literary non-fiction in 2015 for this book, receiving $25,000 and significant recognition in the Canadian literary scene. 👗 The author discovered her mother's wedding dress from 1940 during the cleanout, perfectly preserved in a box she had never seen before, along with love letters that revealed a new side to her parents' relationship. 🌊 The family home, "Point O' View," sits on the shores of Lake Ontario in Oakville and has been a landmark in the community since 1882. 🎨 Despite her success as an author, Plum Johnson spent most of her career as a publisher and graphic designer, founding KidsCanada Publishing in 1981.