A contemporary perspective on the struggles and triumphs of the American Vietnam War resisters who resettled in Canada
They risked everything to stand by their principles. War Resisters: Standing Against the Vietnam War shares the untold stories of the Americans who refused to participate in the Vietnam War draft, found refuge in Canada, and built new lives, forever shaping the communities they joined.
War Resisters: Standing Against the Vietnam War will be launched at the Florence Filberg Centre, Conference Hall, Courtenay, on October 18th. It will be part of a screening event for Heart of Gold, Vancouver filmmaker Patricia Gruben’s feature drama that tells the story of a US Army draftee who heads to Canada while his ex-girlfriend goes underground as an antiwar activist. Film tickets are $10 at the door. The screening begins at 1.00 pm and the launch at 2.30 event, after which there will be a discussion with Joline and Patricia. Books will be sold by Laughing Oyster Bookshop. Similar joint events will be held at the Denman Island Activity Centre on October 19th, starting at 1 pm, with books for sale by Abraxas Books, and finally at Cinecenta Cinema in Victoria on November 11 at 7 pm with books for sale by Munro’s.
Through interviews with resisters, author Joline Martin shares previously untold stories about what it was like for them to start new lives on Vancouver Island all the while grappling with the consequences of their decisions to stand against the war. The resisters’ stories blend with historical context to offer a deep and alternate insight into a time of political unrest in the United States. These stories challenge the long-held myths and assumptions about what it meant to be a Vietnam War resister. Edited by Lou Allison from the bestselling Gumboot series’, War Resisters pays homage to the legacy of this courageous community, not only in the lives they built but also in the generosity they continue to pay forward.
Joline is deeply connected to the contents of this book. Disillusioned with U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, Joline left for Haida Gwaii, BC, in the early 1970s, seeking a new way of life. There, she found solace in the natural world and the power of community, living in close connection with Haida culture. Now living in the Comox Valley, she carries with her a lifelong commitment to advocacy and storytelling.
Joline will also read at The Book Shelf, Shoprite, Port McNeill, BC on November 1st from noon to 2 pm. Books will be sold by Shoprite. She will then read at The Sointula Museum, Malcolm Island, BC on November 2nd from 1 to 3 pm, with the museum selling books. She will then be reading from her book at the Comox Vancouver Island Regional Library on November 8th from 2 to 4pm. Books will be sold by Laughing Oyster Bookshop.
War Resisters: Standing Against the Vietnam War (9781773861685) is published by Caitlin Press and distributed by the University of Toronto Press. It released in September 2025 and is available to order from bookstores across Canada.
Joline Martin is a founding member of the North Island Writers Conference, where she has served as chair for the past eight years. She has also served on the board of the Comox Valley Writers Society for ten years and is a member of The Writers Union of Canada. Her short stories have appeared in Island Writers Magazine and Comox Valley Collective, and her personal story is featured in the BC bestseller Gumboot Girls: Adventure, Love & Survival on the North Coast of British Columbia (Caitlin Press, 2014). War Resisters: Standing Against the Vietnam War is her first book.
Upcoming Events!
Launch events with movie screening of Heart of Gold
Film tickets are $10 at the door.
Florence Filberg Centre, Conference Hall, Courtenay, on October 18th at 1 pm.
The Denman Island Activity Centre on October 19th, starting at 1 pm
Cinecenta Cinema in Victoria on November 11 at 7 pm
Book readings
The Book Shelf, Shoprite, Port McNeill, BC on November 1st from noon to 2 pm.
The Sointula Museum, Malcolm Island, BC on November 2nd from 1 to 3 pm.
The Comox Vancouver Island Regional Library on November 8th from 2 to 4 pm
