Felton-based River Sanctuary Publishing recently announced the publication of local author Heather Bradrick’s newest book, “Grandma Josephine: Upper Hood River Valley and Days Gone By.”

According to Bradrick, the book recounts stories her grandmother told her about growing up on a dairy farm in Oregon in 1905.

The story follows a 10-year-old Josephine goes on log-rolling adventures on the Hood River with her brothers, meets Native Americans, and even comes face-to-face with a mountain lion.

Bradrick said she was inspired to write her grandmother’s stories down after joining a local chapter of Toastmasters International in 2008 and gave a particularly well-received speech regaling her grandmother’s yarns.

People came up to her after and suggested the stories should be written down for posterity.

“I was amused,” she said. “I had gone there to speak, but was told to write.”

The story was three years in the making, and features hand-drawn illustrations done by Bradrick.

The book will be offered for sale for $16 at Bookshop Santa Cruz, or through River Sanctuary Publishing’s website: www.riversanctuarypublishing.com/grandmajo