The Canadian Literature Collection highlights the diversity and talent of Canadian authors. Representing the broad range of genres and traditions reflected in Candian Literature, this Collection includes fiction by Margaret Atwood, John Irving, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and other Canadian writers who have shaped the nation's literary canon.
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny is the third book in her Chief Inspector Gamache series. Published by St. Martin’s Press, the novel earned the Agatha Award for Best Novel of 2008. Formerly a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) journalist and radio host, Penny published her debut novel, Still Life, in 2005. The first book in the Gamache series, Still Life received numerous awards and propelled Penny into the top echelon of modern mystery writers. The... Read The Cruelest Month Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, History: World
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Romance
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity
Tags Gender / Feminism, Food, Satire, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction
Published in 1969, The Edible Woman was Margret Atwood’s first novel and established her reputation as a significant contemporary novelist. The Edible Woman follows recently engaged Marian McAlpin as she attempts to reconcile her need for personal autonomy with the gendered expectations inherent within the roles of a wife and mother. As Marian begins to feel a loss of identity, her body suddenly refuses certain foods, particularly meat. To reflect the inner struggle her protagonist... Read The Edible Woman Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II
The English Patient (1992) is a historical romance novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The novel explores the relationships between four dissimilar people living in an abandoned Italian monastery at the end of World War II. The eponymous English patient—actually a Hungarian count burned beyond recognition—tells Canadian nurse Hana the story of his forbidden romance with British amateur cartographer Katharine Clifton as their small team attempted, several years earlier, to map North African deserts. Using... Read The English Patient Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Health / Medicine, British Literature
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Education, Education, Mental Illness, History: World, Romance, Canadian Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Business / Economics, Arts / Culture, Class, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, WWII / World War II, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Teams
Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Animals
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Gender / Feminism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
First published in 1985, Margaret Atwood’s sixth novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, has received numerous accolades and prizes and remains widely critically celebrated. Set in what used to be the United States but is now a repressive theocracy called the Republic of Gilead, the dystopian novel is narrated by the protagonist, Offred, who recounts her daily experiences intercut with memories of her life before the revolution and during her training to become a “Handmaid.”Atwood is an... Read The Handmaid's Tale Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Economics, Society: Class
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Margaret Atwood’s The Heart Goes Last is a work of speculative fiction released in 2015. The novel is a reworking of her Positron series for the website Byliner: four interconnected stories that were digitally released as episodes over the course of a year, starting in March 2012. The project aimed to recapture the literary tradition of serialization, but the final installment was never released, and the novel is intended to bring things together and provide... Read The Heart Goes Last Summary