Words leave imprints in your mind like footprints in the sand...
History in the making: This book takes you back into the past, into the early days of Canada and allows you to sail on the ships, visit the early settlements and experience how some remarkable people made the country in to what it is today. A remarkable journey.
Canadian Folk is full of a range of characters of all descriptions who have populated the Canadian landscape and made it the country it is today.
Some of them were involved in the early days of the Hudson Bay company, others were explorers, others trying to make their fortune, writers, painters and people from a range of backgrounds.
What binds them all however is the ambition they had alongside the doubts and lack of confidence that can sometimes affect everyone. They were all brave and they left their mark on their country, adopted or otherwise and each one has a fascinating story to tell set against some of the most stunning landscapes of Canada
Canadian West – Paul Kane – famous Canadian painter,Irish born who was famous for his paintings of First Nations people in the West, and grew up in Toronto where he later died.
Brantford, Ontario – Pauline Johnson -Canadian writer and performer popular in the late 19th century. Johnson was notable for her poems and performances that celebrated her First Nations heritage;
Rankin lnlet – one of the stories explains an incident occurring here
Mayflower Island – The sinking of the mayflower in 1912 – it was built in The Mayflower was built in Combermere, Ontario and sank near what is now called Mayflower Island
Marble Island – near Rankin Inlet – James Knight who worked for the Hudson Bay company in and around 1676 and died in grim circumstances
Susan:@thebooktrailer
It is no secret that I am a self- confessed Canadian. I loved living in Toronto and exploring Canada and it was where I did my first book trail so it will always have a special place in my heart.
Whilst I was there I realised how little I knew about the Canadian people and of Canada in general. So, I bought quite a few books to find out more – 50 Tales of Toronto and The Canadian 100 which told stories about the city and the people who had made Canada great.
This book not only continues the story of Canada to me but in a very clever and interesting way. This is the story not only of its people but its idiosyncrasies of the country and the author Peter Unwin has an impressive role call of intriguing Canadians it was a pleasure to meet.
I read rather quickly, eager to soak up these stories of Canadian Folk but found muself having to go back to ensure I’d read right or understood properly. The facts and fascinating journeys of these people come thick and fast but this makes for a brilliant journey through their lives. It made me want to read more and more – particularly the chapter on the Cheese Poet and Canada’s very first author.
The book is a collection of a select few Canadian people but each has an unique story to tell and I found myself digging deeper into the stories as the author took me by the hand. It’s like going to someone’s house and being introduced to a crowd of people – some you remember and others you want to read more about but the end result is quite a new group of friends you’ve just met and you’re pleased you did.
I think Canada and Canadians can be somewhat overlooked in history or not written about in great depth. I had never known about the real story behind the Rankin Inlet or the Scottish heritage of the Cheese Poet. Finding out about John Richardson her first novelist, was for me, a book lover especially of Canadian fiction, a particular treat.
For anyone interested in Canadians and Canadian history, then this is a great in depth yet easy to read and understand book. It says it holds portraits of Remarkable Lives. I would argue that this is an art gallery in its own right. Remarkable, intriguing and waiting to be discovered.
