The Promise of Canada - by Charlotte Gray (Paperback)

About the Book

"On the eve of Canada's sesquicentennial celebrations comes a richly rewarding new book from acclaimed historian Charlotte Gray about what it means to be Canadian. Readers already know Gray as an award-winning biographer, a writer who has brilliantly captured significant individuals and dramatic moments in our history. Now, in The Promise of Canada, she weaves together masterful portraits of nine influential Canadians, creating an engaging history of the country over the past 150 years and arguing that Canada has constantly reimagined itself in every generation since 1867. What do these people - from George-âEtienne Cartier and Emily Carr to Tommy Douglas, Margaret Atwood and Elijah Harper - have in common? Each, according to Charlotte Gray, has left an indelible mark on our country. Deliberately avoiding a "top down" approach to our history, Gray has chosen people whose ideas have caught her imagination, ideas that over time have become part of our collective conversation. She also highlights many other Canadians, past and present, who have added to the ongoing debate over how we see ourselves. A fresh take on our history that offers fascinating insights into how this country has matured and how - 150 years after Confederation and beyond - we are still a people in progress, The Promise of Canada will inspire and challenge readers to envision the Canada they want to live in. Charlotte Gray makes history come alive as she opens doors into our past, our present and our future."--

Book Synopsis

What does it mean to be a Canadian? What great ideas have changed our country? An award-winning writer casts her eye over our nation's history, highlighting some of our most important stories.From the acclaimed historian Charlotte Gray comes a richly rewarding book about what it means to be Canadian. Readers already know Gray as an award-winning biographer, a writer who has brilliantly captured significant individuals and dramatic moments in our history. Now, in The Promise of Canada, she weaves together masterful portraits of nine influential Canadians, creating a unique history of our country. What do these people--from George-Étienne Cartier and Emily Carr to Tommy Douglas, Margaret Atwood, and Elijah Harper--have in common? Each, according to Charlotte Gray, has left an indelible mark on Canada. Deliberately avoiding a top-down approach to history, Gray has chosen Canadians--some well-known, others less so--whose ideas, she argues, have become part of our collective conversation about who we are as a people. She also highlights many other Canadians from all walks of life who have added to the ongoing debate, showing how our country has reinvented itself in every generation since Confederation, while at the same time holding to certain central beliefs. Beautifully illustrated with evocative black-and-white historical images and colorful artistic visions, and written in an engaging style, The Promise of Canada is a fresh, thoughtful, and inspiring view of our historical journey. Opening doors into our past, present, and future with this masterful work, Charlotte Gray makes Canada's history come alive and challenges us to envision the country we want to live in.

Review Quotes

"Painstakingly researched and thoroughly engaging, The Promise of Canada is a pleasurable read, and, what's more, it's edifying."

About the Author

Charlotte Gray is one of Canada's best-known writers and the author of twelve acclaimed books of literary nonfiction, including The Promise of Canada. The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master and the Trial that Shocked a Country won the Toronto Book Award, the Heritage Toronto Book Award, the Canadian Authors Association Lela Common Award for Canadian History, and the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book. It was shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize, the Ottawa Book Award for Nonfiction, and the Evergreen Award, and it was longlisted for the British Columbia National Award for Canadian Nonfiction. An adaptation of her bestseller Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike was broadcast as a television miniseries. An adjunct research professor in the department of history at Carleton University, Charlotte is the recipient of the Pierre Berton Award for distinguished achievement in popularizing Canadian history. She is a Member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Visit her at CharlotteGray.ca.