An author with a family connection to Newfoundland and Labrador has paid tribute to her grandfather by writing a book about him.

Poppy’s House by Karla Courtney will be available as of June 7.

When Courtney was young, she took her first trip to the province after her mom married a Newfoundlander. She describes the trip as “memorable and magical” noting that she was inspired by her grandparents, Eric and Alice, who both grew up on Woody Island with no electricity or running water.

Courtney loved the province so much that she came back every summer up until the pandemic.

She describes her pop, who now lives in Arnold’s Cove, as being a “stoic and practical man of the bay,” noting that he had a humble reaction to being the title character of a book.

She visited him last year with samples of the book, and she thinks seeing someone who represents him chopping wood, going for capelin, and picking bakeapples put a smile on his face.

Courtney will be in Newfoundland with her Poppy Eric on July 13 for a book signing at Chapters in St. John’s.