I met Fred Reed at a CAIR-CAN fundraising in Montreal few years ago. I didn't know at that time that he would one day be one of the translators of my memoir Hope and Despair. Later on, I read one of his numerous books on the Middle-East and I discovered with delight and curiosity a glimpse of the man who stood behind this tall and shy personality. An American War Resister? International journalist? A translator who chose Canada, and more particularly Quebec, as a land of adoption?

Then, I read his latest book Then We Were One, a memoir he wrote that was published by Talonbooks in November 2011. After I finished reading this book I realized how little I knew about the life of this fascinating Canadian author.

In Ottawa, spring is synonymous with renewal, rebirth and of course the awakening of thousands of colourful tulip bulbs from a long sleep during the freezing nights of fall and the long bitter and frigid days of winter.

In 1997, a diverse group of Ottawans led by Dr. Farook Tareen decided to celebrate the arrival of spring by doing something really special. Through the Ottawa Muslim Association, Dr. Tareen launched the Tulipathon, an annual charity walk that brings together people of every faith in an effort to raise awareness about the urgent need for affordable housing in our city.