Mirella Coacci van der Zyl was born in Torino, Italy, during WW II. She was the second of five children born to a Baptist minister. Mirella grew up knowing the war but also the life of the Church. She came to Canada in 1965 and followed theological studies. Eventually, Mirella was ordained into the ministry with the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec.
After almost twenty years as a chaplain in various hospitals, Mirella retired in 2005 and began her writing career. Her stories have appeared in the local newspaper, the Brantford Expositor, and numerous religious magazines. She is the author of On Call for God, a book about her experiences as a chaplain; I Heard the Rumbling of the Planes: Childhood Memories of War; Silva’s Journey; Nonna’s Chair; and Bullied.
Mirella lives in Mt. Pleasant, Ontario, Canada, with her husband, Ernest, a nature photographer and bird watcher.
