A Synopsis of Woman Suffrage in Canada

Finished June 29
A Synopsis of Woman Suffrage in Canada by Hilda Ridley

Going through some belongings of my mother-in-law as we clear out most of her library as she moves, I came across this pamphlet and found it intriguing to read. The focus is on Ontario, where the movement began, but it gives a good overview of the changes to women's franchise across the country.

Accidental Captives

Finished August 6
Accidental Captives: the story of seven women alone in Nazi Germany by Carolyn Gossage

This is an interesting nugget of history I wasn't aware of until I heard of this book. The women were on an Egyptian ship bound for South Africa. On the ship were missionaries bound for Africa, women and children on their way to join their husbands, US tobacco farmers, and volunteer ambulance workers volunteering with the Free French army. This book concentrates on the Canadian women on board, and follows them from the beginning of the trip, through the bombing of the ship by Germans, the capturing of all those on board, their landing in occupied France, and their internment in Germany. Seven of the Canadian women went on to get permission to travel to Berlin to try to secure their release, and this book follows them through the months in Berlin and their trip home.
Using official documents, books published by a couple of the women, articles by a life journalist and photographer on board the ship, and family documents of the women, Gossage is able to piece together this amazing story. Four of the women had written down at least parts of their story, and these help us to see the reality of their lives through these difficult months. One of the four had two small children with her, and chose not to leave the internment home for the uncertainty of Berlin, a wise move in retrospect. The ones who did make it to Berlin showed adventure, stamina, and a sense of optimism that got them through, making friends with the locals, and finding lighter moments even in the midst of disappointment.
Well-researched, this book gives us a view into another part of history.

Flying with Amelia

Finished January 19
Flying with Amelia by Anne Degrace
This volume of linked stories takes us from 1847 to the present, and across Canada. From a family fleeing the potato famine of Ireland through both world wars, the depression, the fight for women's rights and acknowledging the effects of global warming, this novel will give us glimpses of our country in a new way. Degrace says she intended to show that despite our country's youth, we have a rich history and social and cultural diversity. She succeeds in this. The voices here vary from women to men, and from young girls to elderly women. We see the big city, the small town, rural Canada, and the far north.
The stories capture and surprise and offer versions of our disparate experiences. A great read.

How the Scots Invented Canada

Finished January 8
How the Scots Invented Canada by Ken McGoogan
This is a wonderful book, a history of Canada in so many ways: politically, economically, culturally. I couldn't believe I hadn't read it earlier.
Ken takes a look at the accomplishments and contributions of Scots and Scottish Canadians over our country's history. From explorers to politicians, inventors to writers, community leaders to iconoclasts, this book takes a wide look at how Scots and people with Scottish ancestry have added to our country's rich heritage. Once I started reading, I could barely put it down. I also liked the way he naturally included women here. So many history books don't, and he's got them but not as token additions.
It is the kind of book that makes you want to go out and do something for your country, to show your patriotism and love for Canada. One of the best books I've read in a long time. I'm definitely going to be telling people to read this one.

Bride of New France

Finished December 28
Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers
This novel follows a young girl, Laure, from the Saltpêtrière Hospital in Paris, a orphanage, school and poorhouse, to the early town of Ville-Marie in New France. Laure was taken to the Saltpêtrière when she was very young, grabbed from the arms of her begging parents by the city's archers. She was lucky to be taken in by a sponsor, but now that lady has died and Laure is back in the Saltpêtrière being trained as a seamstress. She is luckier than most, as she can read and write and has skill with a needle, but when she displeasures the Mother Superior, she is sent to be a bride to the men of New France. She is among many others sent for this duty, but she feels very isolated. As she adjusts to life in the new world, she discovers things about herself and what she is willing to do to survive.
I can't say I really liked Laure, she always seems to think herself superior to the others, whether in Paris due to her sewing and lacemaking skills, or in the new world. But she is definitely a survivor and accepts what she must agree to in order to find a life for herself. She is still young when the book ends, and one hopes she finds herself a life she can enjoy in the future. The history was interesting.

River City

Finished September 19
River City by John Farrow
This wide-ranging novel was a little long for me. At first I found it tough going, but a little more than halfway through it started to flow for me. It helped that it told you what time period you were in. I think once I saw the connection directly between the different time periods that helped.
Taking the reader from the time of Cartier until the early 1970s, this book covers a great deal of Quebec history. The author mixes real history with fiction in a seamless way that makes me interested in reading some straight-up history to figure out which parts are real. I feel like I learned a lot of history, but am unsure which parts are real.
He takes us through many explorers of New France, and through many leaders. Particularly prominent characters include Houde, Duplessis, and Trudeau. These historical figures and the fictional ones alongside them come to life here.
This book is history, social commentary, and a mystery all rolled into one. We have the struggle of French-English that still exists in Quebec. We have the corruption that still apparently exists. We have real history of riots, FLQ, and discovery. We have the role of the Catholic Church. And we have passion throughout.
All the main characters throughout time were passionate about what they were doing. That really comes through here and makes the book.
A good, if rather long, read.

A Thoroughly Wicked Woman

Finished September 5
A Thoroughly Wicked Woman by Betty Keller
This book is based on a true story of a murder that took place in Vancouver in late 1905. Thomas Jackson was the victim. He had been away from home for some time, staking claims, and had only been back in Vancouver a couple of days when he was poisoned. He lived with his wife Theresa, who was much younger than him, and his mother-in-law Esther Jones, who took in boarders. The boarders in the house were Harry Fisher, a nephew of Jones, and Ernest Exall, a young man who worked for the CPR.
There was already a case of theft pending against Esther Jones by her landlord. When the poisoning took place suspicion fell on both women and the boarders. Harry Fisher took off for the states and the two women were arrested for perjury, alleged to have been given at the coroner's inquest.
Keller sets the scene in the introduction, giving us the legal environment, the political environment, and the news scene of the day. Much of the information here comes from newspaper stories, and Keller has created a couple of reporters to assist with this end. Most stories of the day didn't have bylines, so particular reporters were not associated with the stories at the time. This device helps to give a personal touch to the book, without influencing the facts of the case.
It was very interesting to see the legal maneuverings and see how different things are now. One does wonder what eventually happened to all the key players and where they ended up.

The Deserter

Finished August 24
The Deserter by Paul Almond
This is the first book in a new series called the Alford Saga. Loosely based on Almond's own ancestors, this book includes a good deal of historical research as well as some artistic license.
The book begins around 1800, when a young man named Thomas Manning is on a British man o' war moored in a small bay of the Gulf of St. Lawrence riding out a spring storm. Thomas knows the price to be paid if he gets caught deserting, but he has planned in advance for just such an opportunity and knows he may not get another chance before his ship heads back to join the fight against Napoleon.
He makes his way ashore and begins the trek inland, encountering a tribe of Micmac natives. They assist his endeavors and he becomes close to them. He begins to make a home for himself, but also works at a French village building ships. He also encounters some English settlers, using an assumed name, James Alford, to hide his identity in case they are looking for him for desertion.
As he learns skills from his employer, and from the natives, Thomas begins to make a life and start his own family. This book ends with him at that point, opening the opportunities for furthering the story in later books. The story flows well and Thomas comes across as a believable characters. The natives are also portrayed well and with respect. This is an interesting story and I look forward to future installments.

Astonishing General

Finished August 17
The Astonishing General: The Life and Legacy of Sir Isaac Brock by Wesley B. Turner
This book is an account of Isaac Brock, focusing on his time in Canada. Very little is here about his life before coming to Canada, and most of this book is limited to external views on his life. The author includes some excerpts from letters and other personal papers, but I left the book without a strong feeling about this man. I don't feel that I really got a sense of who he was. Some of the information given here about his life and actions seems contradictory, and other information is less substantiated by other sources.
He definitely seems dedicated to his military responsibilities, but also with a strong sense of family, despite his distance from them. The information gathered in this book is interesting, and includes a great deal around Isaac's role in the War of 1812. I was sometimes confused by the jumping back and forth in time when the author started one discussion and seemed distracted by certain elements, going forward in time or to other viewpoints.
There were times when the view jumped back and forth between Canadian and U.S. sides of the battle without clear delineation. Despite these issues, I learned a lot from this book and was intrigued by Brock as a person. An interesting addition to the Canadian historical record.

Two Generals

Finished January 3
Two Generals by Scott Chantler
This graphic novel focuses on the experiences of the author's grandfather in WWII. His grandfather, Law, was an officer in the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. He joined along with his best friend Jack and was part of the large force landing in Normandy in July 1944.
The book is a work of art, with a lovely binding. The story is done mostly in army green or red, which really makes an impact and fits with the experience told.
Moving, drawn beautifully, and told with emotion, this is a book to treasure. It is the details here, both text and picture that really make it come alive.

Bury Your Dead

Finished November 11
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny, read by Ralph Cosham
I think this is the best Louise Penny mystery yet. There was the usually wonderful mystery, but so much more here. We had history, issues, personal growth, that really made the book that extra bit special.
There has been a past horrible event in policing for Gamache. It has to do with a kidnapping of one of his agents, and we only gradually discover as the book progresses exactly what happened. Gamache and Beauvoir are both on leaving recovering from physical and mental wounds from this situation. Gamache is visited his mentor in Quebec City and taking rest, which includes doing some research into a personal interest of his. His research takes him to the Literary and Historical Society where he uses their library to research his interest in the battle of the Plains of Abraham.
When a body is discovered in the basement of this bastion of the English in the French Canadian city, Gamache gets drawn in by both the local police and the Society's board. He agrees only because the murder victim is a strong Quebec voice in the search to find the body of Samuel de Champlain. There are many questions: what was he doing at the society? what led him there? who killed him?
Gamache is also questioning the outcome of a recent case in Three Pines and sends Beauvoir there on an unofficial basis to look into the case again.
This story allows us to see both Gamache and Beauvoir in new lights, and see them both grow in their understanding of themselves and others. An absolutely wonderful read.

Catching Up

I was on vacation last week and didn't blog about the reads I did, so I am catching up today. Didn't read all that much as I was too busy visiting etc.

Finished October 1
Rules of Betrayal by Christopher Reich, read by Paul Michael
This is the third book in the series featuring Dr. Jonathan Ranson and his wife Emma. In this one Jonathan is no longer with Doctors without Borders, but is on his own in Afghanistan, working as a freelance travelling doctor with an Afghani assistant. He hasn't seen Emma since their adventures in London months before.
After Jonathan barely survives an encounter with an Afghan warlord, and Emma is betrayed and tortured, Jonathan is contacted by Emma's superior, Frank Conner, head of Division. He is asked to undertake a mission into the heart of operations of a Middle East arms dealer that Emma was working with.
Lots of fast action and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, which is what I expect from this series.

Finished October 3
Cleo: the cat who mended a family by Helen Brown
Written by New Zealand journalist Helen Brown, this personal memoir talks about how Cleo the cat helped her and her children, particularly her son, adjust to tragedy and change. Helen and her family already had a dog and she wasn't interested in adding a cat to the household, but her oldest son Sam was intent on wanting the cat, and willing to give up birthday gifts in exchange. Helen agreed to adopt the cat as soon as it was ready to leave its mother and Sam picked a name for the kitten. When the family was hit by sudden tragedy, the cat was forgotten until it appeared on their doorstep. Helen was again reluctant, until she saw the smile on her son's Rob's face, which hadn't been their since their loss, and she gave in.
As the family adjusted to the cat, and vice versa, the cat distracted them from their sadness and helped them to move on to a new way of living. Through its long life, Cleo again and again helped guide them, cheer them up and keep them positive.
Wonderfully written even through the heartbreak, this book illustrates the power of pets in our lives and how important they can be for such small creatures.

Finished October 9
The Fraser by Bruce Hutchison
Having travelled to B.C. on my vacation, I figured this would be a good choice for vacation reading. Originally written in 1950, this new edition is a facsimile, faithfully reproducing the original text. Well-researched and engagingly written, this history covers the settlement of B.C. which is tightly tied to the history of the Fraser river. Hutchison was a journalist who spent most of his life from childhood in B.C. and spoke firsthand to some of its early settlers.
I learned so much that I hadn't know about the history of this part of Canada that I was very glad I read the book. The last chapter contains musings about the future of the river, and it would have been nice to see an addendum that looked at what had really happened to the river in the last 60 years and how those changes affected the province.
A great read that includes both the big view and the personal stories, this book should be a must read for students of Canadian history. Others will also like the engaging writing and fascinating stories.

Immigrant History

Finished August 22
Hard Passage: A Mennonite Family's Long Journey from Russia to Canada by Arthur Kroeger
I was interested in this book as I am of Mennonite heritage on my maternal side. The Kroeger family came from the same area in Russia (really the Ukraine) as my family did, the Chortiza-Rosenthal area. My grandfather was born in Chortiza and emigrated to Canada in 1923, the first year of the organized emigration from Russia to Canada. Kroeger's family came in 1926. My grandfather was reluctant to talk about his early life and while I have reminiscences from some of his siblings, this adds to my knowledge of the situation in Russia. Kroeger used a variety of published resources as well as his father's papers and photos to tell his story.
I found this book full of facts and yet very readable. I'm glad to have found it to add to my knowledge of my own family history.

Historical Fiction

Finished September 20
Above the Falls by John Harris
The story in this book is based on real people and real events in Canada's north. Harris has researched this well, and provided capsules on each person at the end of the book.
The setting is up in the Northwest Territories above the South Nahanni river at the lakes named Rabbitkettle and Glacier in 1936. The bush pilot George Dalziel (Dal) was known as the flying trapper, as he flew men to his traplines and gave them a cut of what he got from their work. There was a movement to close down this sort of activity as it was seen as encroaching on the natives' livelihood. Two trappers that Dal set down at his line disappeared near the end of the season, with their cabin destroyed. Harris takes that unsolved event and makes a story for it. The story is one that could have been true, and the events surrounding it are described well, with as much basis in fact as possible.
I found this interesting as it is an area and time that hasn't had a lot written about it, and thus opens new territory in Canadian literature. The conversations are well-written and flow and the story is made interesting for more than just the mens' disappearance.

Black History

Finished February 11
From Midnight to Dawn: the Last Tracks of the Underground Railroad by Jacqeuline L. Tobin
This history of the underground railroad concentrated on the movement of blacks from the United States to Canada, particularly into southwestern Ontario.
One thing that I really liked about the book was that Tobin looked at the women who played roles in this movement, an aspect often forgotten.
Some players came to Canada temporarily, going back for either the Civil War itself, or its aftermath. Some however returned to Canada, finding the new black codes implemented in the south after the war too imposing.
The tales of individual fugitives offer much detail and bring the history to life.

Historical Fiction audiobook

Finished November 21
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney, read by Sally Armstrong and Adam Sims
This tale is set in northern Ontario in the winter, and several trails converge to the final scenes. In the small town of Dove River, on the north side of Georgian Bay, a man is found murdered and a 17-year-old boy disappears. Members of the Hudson's Bay Company track after the boy, unsure if he was involved in the death, while another man seen at the cabin of the victim is arrested. The boy's mother feels that he is being blamed for the murder and sets out to find him with the assistance of another man. As the various trails lead to a Norwegian community and to a remote Hudson's Bay post, people's lives and stories converge. The travelling in the winter wilderness takes up a lot of plot in the book, giving nature and its brutality a compelling role. The characters learn about themselves, about the people who are close to them, and that makes the book more interesting as well.