Canadian Literature

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.

The Fort

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Teamwork, Childhood & Youth, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Glass Hotel

by Emily St. John Mandel

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Economics, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Business & Economics, Arts & Culture, Social Class, Gender & Feminism, American Literature, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Goal

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Love, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Birth, Death, Family, Social Class, Community, Education

Tags Romance

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The Golden Boy

by Patricia Finn

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Forgiveness, Grief, Love, Memory, Regret, The Past

Tags Literary Fiction

Patricia Finn’s 2026 novel The Golden Boy is a work of literary fiction that blends contemporary family drama with philosophical inquiry. The story centers on Stafford Hopkins, a wealthy and intellectually detached former television executive living a meticulously controlled life of retirement on the island of Maui with his wife, Agnes. Their sterile paradise, already strained by unresolved marital tensions, is shattered when a letter arrives from Stafford’s hometown in rural Ontario, Canada. The letter... Read The Golden Boy Summary

The Grey Wolf

by Louise Penny

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Environment, Family, Teamwork, Community, Economics, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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The Handmaid's Tale

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 1985

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Gender & Feminism, Science 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

The Heart Goes Last

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Power & Greed, Fate, Marriage, Conflict, Economics, Social Class

Tags Science 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

The Hero's Walk

by Anita Rau Badami

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Indian Literature, Canadian Literature

The Hero’s Walk (2000) is a novel by Anita Rau Badami. It won the Regional Commonwealth Writers Prize, Italy’s Premio Berto, and was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction, as well as a finalist for the Kiriyama Prize.Plot SummaryThe novel takes place in the fictional town of Torturpuram, near Madras, in southern India. It is the middle of July, and Sripathi Rao is on the balcony of... Read The Hero's Walk Summary

The Hunger Code

by Jason Fung

Publication year 2026

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Food, Science & Technology

Tags Self-Improvement

Dr. Jason Fung’s The Hunger Code (2026) is a nonfiction health book that systematically dismantles the conventional “Calories In, Calories Out” model of weight management. Fung argues that this approach has failed because it misidentifies the root cause of obesity, which he contends is not a problem of overeating but of “over-hunger.” The book introduces a framework built around three distinct types of hunger: homeostatic (physical), hedonic (emotional), and conditioned (environmental). Fung explains how each... Read The Hunger Code Summary

The Illegal

by Lawrence Hill

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature

Canadian author Lawrence Hill published The Illegal in 2015. This fast-paced fictional political thriller, which focuses on a young undocumented marathon runner, uses multiple perspectives and irony to question what it really means to be a citizen, exploring themes of Race, Privilege, and Power, Legality Versus Justice, and The Power of Marginalized Voices. Hill is a noted contributor to the fiction and nonfiction genres, particularly for his exploration of issues related to race. The Illegal furthers... Read The Illegal Summary