Margot Russell, a local columnist who recently wrote a book of a collection of her columns, titled “Back to the Lake”. Submitted photo

Local columnist Margot Russell has turned a collection of her weekly column into a book about the area.

Russell has a column in the weekend edition of The Post-Journal on the front page of the Living Section each week. The idea for the book, “Back to the Lake” came from a scrapbook of her past columns that her kids gave her for her birthday one year.

“My family said, ‘You should make that a book one day,” Russell said. “People who like my column will be interested in the book and the book is split into three parts; place, time and wisdom.”

Russell added that the sections focus on things she has learned in life and the passage of time, specifically holding on to the passage of time by writing about it. While this is not Russell’s first book, this is her first book about Chautauqua Lake and the surrounding area. She said she decided to write the book because of her family’s long connection with the area.

“My family has lived in the area for five generations,” Russell said. “Some came to the area by the Erie Canal, and one even came from Massachusetts to work on the Erie Canal. My father as a kid could not wait to get out of Jamestown, but eventually the family came back.”

Russell has lived in many places in her life, and she said coming back to the area as an adult has allowed her to see and discover more about the different places she loved as a kid.

“It’s always been one of my favorite places in the world,” Russell said. “I try to impress in my column how special of a place it is. It’s incredibly beautiful and there’s such a rich history, incredible people, homegrown food and places like Chautauqua Institution and the Comedy Center. What we have is timeless and special and there’s no place like it.”

Russell added that people who live in the area are lucky and have much to appreciate about living in Chautauqua County, calling it a “unique and special place”. Her book is a revised collection of her past columns that help to anchor people in time and place, telling stories of the past and what Russell loves most about the region.

“It’s filled with enthusiasm about where we are and where there is to love about this place,” Russell said. “People who like my column should be interested in having a collection and it is a nice read about where we live. It gives a sense of who we are and an appreciation of Chautauqua Lake and the region.”

Russell’s book, “Back to the Lake” will soon be available at local shops. For more about the book and a list of shops, Russell can be found under her Facebook page, “Columnist Margot Russell.”