Local author keeps things light in her new memoir

By Lethbridge Herald on July 2, 2025.

Nathan Reiter
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A new memoir set in Lethbridge looks to tell the story of Ruth Irene Buchanan, a longtime humour columnist and the former editor of the Lethbridge Magazine.

The book was released in March and is available on Amazon. In an interview with the Herald, Buchanan says the book tackles many aspects of her life.

“This book has many things. It’s a memoir of my life as a teacher, writer, editor, publisher, traveler and bed and breakfast owner and stuff like that. Travelin’ Light comes from a humour article I wrote about going to Spain and Portugal. I only took a carry-on because I had learned the vital lesson that in travel, as in life, it’s best to go light and not carry a lot of baggage.”

Buchanan says the book has appeal for readers of all ages, due to both the content and the humour sprinkled throughout the pages.

“It’s a humor book. It’s got humorous stories about the places I’ve been all over the world. It’s a memoir, it’s a humorous travelogue. I was involved in a lot of the social issues of the day, so it’s commentary on that. I taught at all different places. It’s a compendium of many things. It appeals to seniors, it appeals to anybody that likes humor, it appeals to travel. It’s wide in its scope.”

Travelin’ Light is the second book to be released by Buchanan this year. She recently republished Under The Hunger Moon, which was written by her father Carl J. Buchanan. The original version was published 15 years ago, but the recently republished version includes new information omitted from the original.

“His book and my book go together in a sense.” Buchanan explained. “When my book starts, it deals with the same time period, so they’re kind of a twin-set in a way.”

Buchanan said she plans to have Travelin’ Light available in more bookstores in the near future.