Joan Barfoot

Joan Barfoot was born on May 17, 1946, in Ontario, Canada. After graduating from the University of Western Ontario in 1969, she worked as a reporter for several newspapers. She first garnered attention in 1978 with Abra, a book about a woman who leaves her life behind to search for her true self. Barfoot received the Books in Canada First Novel Award for this title. Barfoot has continued publishing fiction, largely about the emotions, needs, and rediscovery of the self for women. Other titles include Dancing in the Dark, Plain Jane, and Duet for Three. She has also been the recipient of the Women of Distinction London Award YM-YMCA for 1985 and the Marian Engel Award in 1992. Barfoot makes her home in London, Ontario.