Little Yellow House

"Halton clearly delights in interacting with people from all walks of life; her interest and empathy sparkle throughout. Her tone is factual, nonjudgmental, and often wryly funny. Little Yellow House is a balanced presentation of a diverse community in transition, complete with faults and growing pains." ~Rachel Jagareski, Foreword Review

"It’s books like this that remind us all… that community is more than about special events that happen once a year. It’s about connecting to people often and throughout the year. Doing so can and does result in some wonderful experiences." [Full article at https://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/community-in-a-little-yellow-book-20181010] ~Scott Hayes, St. Albert Gazette

# 1 on Edmonton Non-Fiction Bestsellers list, October 19, 2018

"It's an illuminating and hopeful book that asks readers to think again about what makes places liveable, and also provides a wonderful glimpse of Jane Jacobs' proverbial sidewalk ballet." ~49th Shelf

"Great cities and neighbourhoods are containers for stories, just like this book is, and every one of these is delightfully readable and well-written right down to the sentence level. And Halton is not afraid of tension, of ambiguity and uncertainty, something living in the city teaches you, and so each of these stories is suspended in a careful place, not neatly packaged or simply concluded. Which gives their culmination the effect of a walk through a city street, of glimpses, moments, and changing scenes—a most satisfying and delightful excursion." ~Kerry Clare, author of Mitzi Bytes

"This book is an excellent resource for communities wanting to create change. It can also be a starting point for discussion with students ... to focus on identifying Who are the vulnerable? Who gets to decide that they’re vulnerable? and What community-based solutions honour lifestyle choices? Little Yellow House shows readers there are ways of working and living together that really do respect diversity. I loved this book." ~Judith Kulig, Alberta Views Magazine

"In these stark and endearing personal essays, the author celebrates her life and lives fearlessly and fully with three children and a husband, despite a dystopian backdrop. Halton writes with humour, empathy, and spiritual maturity, and she doesn't judge the inner city world outside her yellow house." ~Linda Alberta, Prairie Books Now

# 2 on Calgary Herald's Non-Fiction Bestsellers list. ~Calgary Herald

Halton debuts with a touching story exploring the power of community in the face of urban transformation... She masterfully interweaves personal anecdotes, historical context, and social commentary to paint a vivid picture of life in their little yellow house and its surrounding community. This portrait touches on the challenges in the neighborhood, including drug use and violence in the sex trade, but it embraces hopeful and lighthearted moments as well. Halton’s insightful storytelling, engagingly conveyed by narrator Marysia Bucholc, creates an unforgettable listening experience that resonates long after the last word. Bucholc’s warm, expressive voice perfectly captures the essence of the characters, allowing listeners to feel a deep connection to the story." Christa Van Herreweghe, Library Journal, August 2023