Island Girl: A Triumph of the Spirit

Norma Joyce Dougherty pt 2

Many people dream of fame and fortune. I raised two daughters and they went through the phases where they wanted to be a fairy tale princess. They even participated in some youth beauty pageants, etc. Always with the dream of walking across the stage as Miss America, or whatever. But happens when you actually win?

My guest today lived the “rags to riches” story of those dreams. Norma Joyce Dougherty was raised in, what was then, rural Prince Edward Island in the extreme eastern part of Canada, as a poor farm girl relegated to daily chores on the farm. Then, suddenly she was thrust into the lime light of national and international fame as Miss Dominion of Canada and a contestant in Miss World and Miss Universe, Queen of the Pacific and as a semi-finalist in the Miss International beauty pageants. Her life story was even made into a screenplay!

Having faced abuse and heartache as a young child, she then faced an identity crisis because of her new found fame.

She is a speaker and mentor and also the author of the book, “Island Girl: A Triumph of the Spirit,” which we will be discussing today.