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Orphans of Empire: A Novel
By Grant Buday. 2020
Finalist for the 2021 BC and Yukon Book Prizes' Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize"Meticulously researched and vividly drawn, Orphans of Empire…
brings to life the half-forgotten world of early British Columbia. This is an immersive, shimmering novel." —Steven Price, author of #1 nationally bestselling By Gaslight and Giller-shortlisted LampedusaIn Grant Buday's new novel, three captivating stories intertwine at the site of the New Brighton Hotel on the shores of Burrard Inlet. In 1858 the serious and devoted Sir Richard Clement Moody receives the commission of a lifetime when he is sent to help establish "a second England"—what is now British Columbia. In 1865 Frisadie, an eighteen-year-old Kanaka housemaid, who is more entrepreneur than ingénue, arrives in New Brighton from Hawaii. She convinces Maxie Michaud to purchase the hotel with her, and it soon becomes the toast of the inlet. In 1885 Henry Fannin, a young, curious embalmer and magnetism devotee, having struck out in London and San Francisco, arrives in New Brighton and promptly falls in love with a tragic woman he hears crying on his first night at the hotel.Endearing, funny, and highly evocative of time and place, Orphans of Empire celebrates those living in the shadow of history's supposed heroes, their private struggles and personal agendas. Readers who loved Michael Crummey's Galore and Eowyn Ivey's To the Bright Edge of the World, will love this vivid novel of arrivals that prods at the ethics of settlement.Mise en forme
By Nicol Mikella. 2023
Après une rupture, la narratrice de Mise en forme voit ses repères lui échapper. Cloîtrée dans sa nouvelle chambre blanche,…
elle s'adonne à une pratique intensive du fitness, sculptant son corps pour reprendre le contrôle de sa vie. Mais les promesses des influenceuses ne l'aident pas à se sentir mieux. L'été suivant, en vacances à New York, elle accusera le choc de deux rencontres déterminantes : celles d'un inconnu hostile et d'un livre, The Red Parts de Maggie Nelson, qui lui feront mesurer ses forces et les dangers qui la guettent, elle et toutes les filles de la rue et du webNé à Québec
By Alain Grandbois. 2004
"Dans sa toute première œuvre qu'il fait paraître à Paris en 1933, Alain Grandbois a voulu rappeler les grandes réalisations…
et les principales explorations de Louis Jolliet, l'une des figures les plus marquantes de la Nouvelle-France. L'auteur le suit à la trace dans ses expéditions sur le Mississippi en compagnie du père Jacques Marquette. Si Jolliet incarne les visées économiques et politiques de l'époque, Marquette représente bien sûr les aspirations religieuses de son temps. Grandbois accompagne aussi l'explorateur dans son expédition à la baie James et au Labrador où Jolliet entend conclure une alliance avec les Amérindiens. Tout en faisant œuvre d'historien, Granbois laisse libre cours à son imagination pour rendre encore plus vivante l'image héroïque et légendaire de l'un des grands personnages de l'histoire québécoise." -- 4e de couvHonor Edgeworth
By Douglas Lochhead, Kate Madeleine Bottomley. 1973
In Honor Edgeworth the sole and sincere motive of the authoress has been to hold up to the mass the…
little picture of society, in one of its most marked phases, that she has sketched, as she watched its freaks and caprices from behind the scenes.Ottawa, in this work, is taken merely as a representative of all other fashionable cities, for the simple reason that it is better known to the writer than any other city of social repute. Her object in publishing the volume at all, if not clearly defined throughout the work, may be discovered here: it is primarily, to attract the attention of those who, if they wished, could exercise a beneficial influence over the sphere in which they live, to the moral depravities that at present are allowed so passively to float on the surface of the social tide. It would with the same word appeal to the minds and hearts of those women who are satisfied to remain slaves to the exactions of an unscrupulous society, at the sacrifice of their most womanly impulses, and their noblest energies; and would also remind some reckless sons of Ottawa, of how miserably they are contributing towards the future prosperity of their country, by adopting, as the only aim of their lives, the paltry ambition of an unworthy self-indulgence.The predominant feeling throughout the entire composition has been one of pure philanthropy, as the authoress desires to benefit her fellow-creatures, in as far as it lies in her very limited power.Guilty
By Douglas Lochhead, Lance Bilton. 1973
In the Midst of Alarms
By Robert Barr, Douglas Lochhead. 1973
My Lady of the Snows
By Douglas Lochhead, Margaret A. Brown. 1973
This work cannot be fully understood unless the reader is aware of the writer's motives. The book has a twofold…
meaning -- that of a political novel, and that of the portrayal of a great love and a religious drama. As Disraeli in his novels portrayed the political and social conditions of certain eras of his country, in a simple way this work is intended to portray the conditions existing in Canada at an era when the country was in a state of transition, with the idealistic conception of what the government of a country should be, the conception being based upon a knowledge of the inherent principles of Divine Right and upon Plato's Republic of Justice. The scene is laid prior to the last election during Sir John A. Macdonald's administration. There are no great questions at issue, politics are seen in their lowest form; the protective tariff had been adopted, and with the advent of machinery the old order of things was passing away; the new order had not yet brought any great issues before the people, and the election, commonly called the "Old Flag" election, was run merely on a sentiment of loyalty to the motherland. "My Lady of the Snows" is a woman who has been born "great," and one who has based her life on principles rather than the emotions, or Plato's theory that the emotions should remain subservient to the will.Dot It Down
By Douglas Lochhead, Alexander Begg. 1973
The Magpie: A Novel of Post-War Disillusionment 1923
By Douglas Durkin, Peter Rider. 1974
One of the most complex experiences for Canadians was World War 1 and its attendant social upheavals. Because of the…
lack of a clear description of the emotional forces of the period, historians have tended to concentrate on the political manifestations of agrarian and working class unrest. There are no well-known sources for social commentary, a lack that makes this novel important as an historical document. Originally published in 1923, The Magpie is an articulate and perceptive work which provides an accurate description of the disillusionment that developed after the war when it became apparent that many of the government's promises of social reform were not going to be fulfilled. Craig Forrester – nicknamed 'The Magpie' because of his terseness in conducting business on the Winnipeg Grain Exchange – is appalled by the greed, hypocrisy, and intolerance of the 'decent' classes and opts for persona morality and social justice. Rejecting urban life, he returns to the farm of his childhood, symbol of the traditional values of honesty and simplicity. By having his hero make this choice, Durkin adopts one of the greatest themes of Canadian literature and intellectual thought – the agrarian myth. A secondary theme, of particular interest today, is the role of women in post-war society and the evolution of moral codes. The three women in 'The Magpie's' life achieve surprising degrees of personal autonomy.Whatever Happened to Mary Janeway?: A Home Child Story
By Mary Pettit. 2012
Home child Mary Janeway runs away from her farm placement, grows into adulthood, and ultimately comes to terms with life…
in Hamilton, Ontario. Sixteen-year-old Mary Janeway, a home child, is desperate to escape from her rural home child placement and flees to London, Ontario, to find a domestic position. When conditions become unbearable, she moves on, vowing never to relinquish her freedom again.After she arrives in Hamilton as a young bride, she quickly adapts to the urban conveniences and the marvels of new inventions that include electric sewing machines, sulphur matches, street stoplights, a one-horsepower Brunswick refrigerator, the advent of the zipper, and the beginning of radio. But even the latest technology can’t stop the ravages of disease and other family tragedies.Mary lives through two world wars, the Spanish Influenza, and the Great Depression. In spite of many hardships, she remains a strong, resilient woman well into her senior years and makes many contributions to Hamilton, the city she calls home.The Forest: A Fable of America in the 1830s
By Alexander Nemerov. 2023
A vivid historical imagining of life in the early United States“One of the richest books ever to come my way.”—Annie…
Proulx, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Shipping News“This is a wonderful book. . . . An extraordinary achievement.”—Edmund de Waal, New York Times bestselling author of The Hare with Amber EyesSet amid the glimmering lakes and disappearing forests of the early United States, The Forest imagines how a wide variety of Americans experienced their lives. Part truth, part fiction, and featuring both real and invented characters, the book follows painters, poets, enslaved people, farmers, and artisans living and working in a world still made largely of wood. Some of the historical characters—such as Thomas Cole, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Fanny Kemble, Edgar Allan Poe, and Nat Turner—are well-known, while others are not. But all are creators of private and grand designs.The Forest unfolds in brief stories. Each episode reveals an intricate lost world. Characters cross paths or go their own ways, each striving for something different but together forming a pattern of life. For Alexander Nemerov, the forest is a description of American society, the dense and discontinuous woods of nation, the foliating thoughts of different people, each with their separate shade and sun. Through vivid descriptions of the people, sights, smells, and sounds of Jacksonian America, illustrated with paintings, prints, and photographs, The Forest brings American history to life on a human scale.Published in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCThe Book of Nonexistent Words
By Stefano Massini. 2018
The internationally acclaimed author harnesses his brilliant imagination and masterful storytelling ability to create a catalog of new words inspired…
by stories of real people in this wondrous book reminiscent of Italo Calvino's mesmerizing Invisible Cities.How many times have words not been enough?How many complex feelings don’t have a corresponding noun that properly describes them?How many times has language left us like an archer without arrows in the labyrinth of our emotions?Award-winning author Stefano Massini, a master of expression,, made a discovery that shot new life into his writing practice. To his surprise he found that the ancient rules of language were not quite as restrictive as he had long envisioned them to be. With so many emotions and states of mind missing modern descriptors and definitions, Massini stumbled across a simple but artistry-altering idea. Instead of compromising honest expression through perfunctory verbiage, he decided language was, if anything, a flowing palette of colors he could use to paint all things. Words are meant to be invented. To reconfirm his belief in the magic of words, Massini returned to the wondrous mechanism that has fed dictionaries from time immemorial. If he could not find the precise word he wanted, he created one. In this delightful compendium, he introduces his personal vocabulary; every chapter mentions a new word that comes from a story about a real person, from Louis XIV to an American gangster.The Book of Nonexistent Words is a beautifully illustrated collection of linguistic origin stories wrought from the mind of an internationally renowned storytelling icon. Massini effectively liberates our human capacity for using language creatively and shows how we can embrace storytelling to fine tune our way of being in the world. Massini encourages us to be imaginative; if the language in the dictionary cannot adequately match the reality of the here and now, we must create new words that ring true.Translated from the Italian by Richard DixonDaughters of Latin America Hijas de América Latina (Spanish edition): Una antología global
By Sandra Guzman. 1966
UNA EXTRAORDINARIA SELECCIÓN DE OBRAS ESENCIALES, EN SU MAYORÍA INÉDITAS, QUE CELEBRAN LA FUERZA, EL TALENTO Y LA DIVERSIDAD DE…
LAS MUJERES LATINAS, Y TIENDEN PUENTES QUE NOS CONECTAN LAS UNAS CON LAS OTRAS.Desde la prosa implacable de sor Juana Inés de la Cruz hasta los poderosos cantos de la chamana María Sabina; desde las luchas revolucionarias de Audre Lorde, Lolita Lebrón y Berta Cáceres hasta el activismo de Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; desde los versos pioneros de Cecilia Vicuña, Maryse Condé, Nancy Morejón y Conceição Evaristo hasta la poesía transgresora de Elizabeth Acevedo, Sonia Guiñansaca y Ada Limón, 140 mujeres de América Latina y el Caribe se juntan en esta colección sin precedentes. Un fascinante universo lírico que celebra las voces nacientes, alentadas y alimentadas por quienes, con sus plumas como machetes, despejaron el camino.«Esta antología fue inspirada para reunirnos y contrarrestar juntas la invisibilización y los mitos que existen en torno a la literatura y el talento de las poderosas Hijas de América Latina, en donde quiera que estemos alzando nuestras voces: de Chicago a São Paulo, de Loíza a Asunción, de Portsmouth a Puerto Príncipe, del Bronx a Buenos Aires, de Chiapas a Los Ángeles, y más allá». —de la introducción por Sandra Guzmán.----AN EXTRAORDINARY SELECTION OF ESSENTIAL WORKS THAT CELEBRATE THE STRENGTH, TALENT, AND DIVERSITY OF LATINE WOMEN, AND BUILD BRIDGES THAT CONNECT US TO ONE ANOTHER.From the relentless prose of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz to the powerful chants of the shaman Maria Sabina; from the revolutionary struggles of Audre Lorde, Lolita Lebrón, and Berta Cáceres to the activism of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; from the pioneering verses of Cecilia Vicuña, Maryse Condé, Nancy Morejón, and Conceição Evaristo to the transgressive poetry of Elizabeth Acevedo, Sonia Guiñansaca, and Ada Limón, 140 women from Latin America and the Caribbean come together in this unprecedented collection. A fascinating lyrical universe that celebrates the emerging voices, nurtured and encouraged by those who, with their pens as machetes, cleared the path."This anthology has been inspired to disrupt erasure and myths, to gather us, the powerful literary Daughters of Latin America, from Chicago to São Paulo, from Loíza to Asunción, from Portsmouth to Puerto Príncipe, from the Bronx to Buenos Aires, from Chiapas to Los Ángeles, and beyond". —from the introduction by Sandra GuzmánCrossing Brooklyn Ferry: A Novel
By Jennie Fields. 2002
Escaping the narrow, wealthy life she led in Manhattan, Zoe Finney moves her family to Park Slope, Brooklyn, an area…
of beautiful old brownstones where working-class families have lived for generations.A poor girl who married into money, Zoe finds comfort in the close-knit neighborhood.She hopes the change will reinvigorate her profoundly depressed husband and provide a happy place for her small daughter, Rose, to grow.But her arrival there alters the lives around her, especially the handsome schoolteacher next door, Keevan O'Connor, who is deeply drawn to her. Despite Zoe's initial hesitation, they begin to fall in love. Rose is thrilled, recognizing in Keevan the warm, fun-loving father hers could never be. But when Zoe's husband wakes from his depression to see his wife slipping away, Zoe is torn between her love for two men.