Canadian Historical Fiction

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Canadian Historical Fiction

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1GailL
Juin 25, 2013, 7:41 pm

I enjoy reading Historical fiction & would like to find some based on Canada.

2lkernagh
Juin 26, 2013, 12:21 am

If by based in Canada you mean stories with historical Canadian settings, here is a list of some I have read and enjoyed:

The Maquinna Line: A Family Saga by Norma Macmillan - set on Vancouver Island 1871 to 1945
Under this Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell - set in 1930's Alberta-Saskatchewan
Oonagh by Mary Tilberg - set in 19th century Upper Canada
Touch by Alexi Zentner - set in British Columbia, it bounces through some time periods, including 19th century
The Birth House by Ami McKay - set in Nova Scotia during World War I
Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers - 17th century story that starts in France before settling in what would later become Quebec
The Chief Factor's Daughter by Vanessa Winn - set in 19th century Victoria BC
The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan - set on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls, the story starts in 1915.
The Outlander by Gil Adamson - set in 1903 southern Alberta

3aulsmith
Juin 26, 2013, 6:50 am

Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather
Peace Shall Destroy Many by Rudy Wiebe

4quartzite
Juin 27, 2013, 2:09 am

Voyageurs by Margaret Elphinstone is set partly in Canada

5Roro8
Juil 12, 2013, 7:13 pm

I recently read The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott. I think it was America and Canada though. Set in the Vaudeville theatre culture.

6HarryMacDonald
Modifié : Juil 12, 2013, 8:02 pm

Does it have to be fiction? There are plenty of memoirs which read better than most novels, and my primo choice is The Master's wife by Sir Andrew MacPhail.

7lisabrownbooks
Mai 24, 2014, 10:25 am

My novel The Porter's Wife transitions from 1901 Manchester, England, to Winnipeg in 1904. The sequel, 'The Seeds of Sorrow,' is fully based in Canada (in the 1920's and 1930's).

8dkhiggin
Mai 24, 2014, 12:56 pm

I don't know if you're into romances, but I found The Surgeon quite good.

9Nickelini
Mai 26, 2014, 1:05 am

Here are a few that I've enjoyed:

Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood - based on a true murder case in Victorian era Ontario. One of my favourite by this author.

The Orenda, Joseph Boyden - Jesuits, Huron, and Iroquois get together but mostly clash in early Canada.

February, Lisa Moore - more recent history, set against the 1982 Ocean Ranger disaster.

Away, Jane Urquhart - Irish fleeing the great famine settle in rural Ontario

All of these have won awards, or been nominated for awards, somewhere or other. There are also great Canadian fiction that is contemporaneous with the era when it was written.

10nrmay
Modifié : Juil 11, 2014, 11:00 pm

Mrs Mike by Benedict Freedman. Plus 2 sequels.
Very young American girl meets and marries a Canadian Mountie and they make a home in the wilderness, early 1900s.

Guests of War Trilogy by Kit Pearson. First book is The Sky is Falling
British children evacuated from England during the Blitz try to adjust to life with a new family in Canada.

11TheFlamingoReads
Juil 12, 2014, 11:46 pm

I'm not sure how "historical" you would consider this but I always recommend The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies. His writing is clever and evocative. Of course, he's my favorite author so I recommend anything he's written, up to and including his grocery list.

12Marissa_Doyle
Juil 13, 2014, 9:49 am

Robert MacNeil of MacNeil-Lehrer fame wrote Burden of Desire set in 1917 Nova Scotia.

13nrmay
Juil 13, 2014, 12:55 pm

Incident at Hawk's Hill and its sequel Return to Hawk's Hill by Allan Eckert.

Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler.

14Lynxear
Modifié : Juil 13, 2014, 1:54 pm

I am reading an excellent book by Canadian author Gil Adamson titled The Outlander. It is one of the best books that I have read in a long time...and I read a lot of books :)

You are not sure where the location of the story is set. It begins in 1903 with a woman running away, in a swamp, being chased by hounds and two men. You don't know where, only a hint of why. Your are in the head of this woman, with her thoughts, fears and she appears to be a little on the crazy side. I am not going to spoil anything for you as this is one heck of a journey and I am less than half way through the book. I will say that the location of the story is in the Crowsnest Pass area of South west BC...somewhere near Sparwood at the start but headed toward Frank eventually (not there yet) with little side references to her childhood in Dauphin Manitoba.

I will definitely source out her other books as this is superlative...I cannot put it down.

15nrmay
Sep 22, 2014, 6:26 pm

Blue Castle and the Anne of Green Gables series. All by L.M. Montgomery

16nrmay
Sep 22, 2014, 6:29 pm

Awake and Dreaming and Handful of Time. Both by Kit Pearson

17Nickelini
Sep 22, 2014, 6:48 pm

Awake and Dreaming is a great book.

18nrmay
Sep 22, 2014, 7:15 pm

>17 Nickelini:

I love all the books by Kit Pearson. Award-winning author; doesn't get U.S. readership she deserves.

19jroger1
Sep 22, 2014, 9:36 pm

James Michener wrote a short suspenseful novel called "Journey." It was actually an outtake from his much longer novel, "Alaska," but his editor preferred to publish it separately because it takes place entirely in Canada. It is about the Klondike gold rush.

20lucypick
Modifié : Sep 23, 2014, 6:01 pm

Burden of Desire is a wonderful book. I warmly second that recommendation.

This is a bit old-school, but I also loved Thomas Costain's High Towers about the LeMoyne family in Montreal and their exploration of Louisiana and Alabama.

ETA: and seeing the outdoor adventure thread also reminded me of Margaret Elphinstone's Voyageurs

21GailL
Modifié : Mar 5, 2016, 11:18 am

Thanks everyone for your comments. Sorry, mine are 3 1/2 years late. Busy life, reading lots, but have never had or taken time to do more with LT than enter my books. I will now have to add these to my "To Read" list. It will take me a while to catch up....lol :-)

22R211
Jan 24, 2018, 11:21 pm

Ce message a été signalé par plusieurs utilisateurs et n'est plus affiché. (afficher)
Try my books that take place in the 1300's pre-contact Canada. I Am Algonquin, Algonquin Spring and Algonquin Sunset- Rick Revelle. They can be bought at any book store in North America or Europe and online.

23Darth-Heather
Jan 25, 2018, 9:45 am

Unfortunate that it took a spammer to bring this thread to my attention, but I'm glad of it all the same. I just added several of these to my wishlist.