Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Coming of Age, Grief, Loneliness, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Death, Place, Colonialism
Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
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 Night Wanderer
The Obesity Code
Theories of Relativity
The Origins of the Modern World
The Other Side of the Bridge
The Other Valley
The Outside Circle
The Painted Door
The Penelopiad
The Peripheral
The Poet Empress
The Pull of the Stars
The Push
The Return of Martin Guerre
The Rez Sisters
The River Has Roots
The Roaring Girl
The Robber Bride
The Rule of Three
The Second Mountain
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Coming of Age, Grief, Loneliness, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Death, Place, Colonialism
Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Food, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies
Tags Health, Science & Nature, Self-Improvement, Sports, Food
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Social Class, Family, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance
Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Barbara Haworth-Attard’s young adult novel Theories of Relativity follows the story of Dylan Wallace, a 16-year-old boy living on the streets of a large city in Canada. Through first-person, present-tense narration, Dylan navigates the dangers and risks of street life and deals with the hardships that accompany the lifestyle. This novel was originally published in Canada in 2003 by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. This study guide follows the First American Edition of the novel, published in... Read Theories of Relativity Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Environment, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice
Tags Education, Education, Science & Nature, Social Science, World History, European History, Politics & Government
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Grief, Fate, Family
Tags World History, Historical Fiction, Relationships
Mary Lawson’s 2016 novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, tells the dual stories of Arthur and Ian, two men separated by a generation but in love with the same woman: Arthur’s wife, Laura.Odd-numbered chapters are told from the point-of-view of Ian Christopherson, the son of a doctor who takes a job on Arthur Dunn’s farm, chiefly to be near Laura Dunn. Even-numbered chapters follow Arthur Dunn. The older of the two Dunn brothers, Arthur... Read The Other Side of the Bridge Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Grief, Politics & Government, Power & Greed
Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism
Publication year 2015
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Indigenous Identity, Colonialism, Religion & Spirituality, Family
Tags Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Incarceration, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1941
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Loneliness, Loyalty & Betrayal, Environment
Tags Great Depression, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
“The Painted Door” is a short story by Sinclair Ross. It was first published in 1938 and later reprinted in The Lamp at Noon and Other Stories by Sinclair Ross in 1988. Ross is known for his fiction (both short stories and novels) depicting life on the Canadian prairies, particularly during the Great Depression. The author was born in 1908 on a homestead near Shellbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada, and lived in various locations across the Canadian... Read The Painted Door Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Mythology, Gender & Feminism, World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
The Penelopiad is a 2005 novella by Margaret Atwood. It is told from the point of view of Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, and her twelve hanged maids. It offers an alternate perspective on the events famously portrayed by Homer in The Odyssey, giving depth to a previously shallow portrait of a faithful wife and her “deceitful” maids. Borrowing from Greek tragedy, Atwood switches narrators between Penelope, now dead and in the underworld, and the hanged maids, who speak... Read The Penelopiad Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Appearance & Reality, Science & Technology, Environment, Future
Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Climate Change
The Peripheral is a 2014 science-fiction novel by William Gibson. Gibson has been writing science fiction works since the 1970s and is considered one of the founding fathers of the cyberpunk genre. His debut novel, Neuromancer, is one of the genre’s foundational texts and is the only novel to win the Nebula, Hugo, and Philip K. Dick awards. Since then, Gibson has written several bestselling science-fiction trilogies. The Peripheral is the first novel of The... Read The Peripheral Summary
Publication year 2026
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Literature, Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fate, Femininity, Justice
Tags Historical Fiction, Dramatic Literature, World History, Grief & Death, Health, Relationships, World War I, LGBTQ+, Irish Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mothers, Memory, Marriage
Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1983
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Marriage, Truth & Lies
Tags Crime & Law, Education, Education, Medieval, World History, French Literature, European History, Biography
In The Return of Martin Guerre, Natalie Zemon Davis, historian and professor at Princeton University, reconstructs the sixteenth century legend of Martin Guerre, a man with a wooden leg who arrived to a courthouse in Toulouse just in time to denounce an imposter who had stolen his wife, his family, and his inheritance. Arnaud du Tilh, a clever and persuasive peasant with a somewhat sordid past, had indeed taken Martin’s identity, and he nearly escaped... Read The Return of Martin Guerre Summary
Publication year 1986
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Death
Tags Drama, Realism, Humor, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Canadian Literature
The Rez Sisters by Tomson Highway is a two-act play that was first performed in 1986 at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. After being translated into French by Jocelyne Beaulieu, “Les Reines de la réserve” premiered by Théâtre Populaire du Québec in 1993. A version of the play in the Cree language was performed in 2010, and Canadian performances with Indigenous actors have been staged in the 2020s. Highway’s play re-envisions the 1965 play... Read The Rez Sisters Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Love, Siblings, Gender Identity, Literature
Tags Fantasy
Publication year 1995
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Guilt, Fathers
Tags Realistic Fiction, Canadian Literature
“The Roaring Girl” is a short story published in 1995 by the Canadian author Greg Hollingshead. It is included in a short story collection of the same name which won Canada’s Governor-General Literary Award. Set in 1954, the story concerns a homeless girl who “roars” into the life of an eight-year-old boy, transforming him and his family.This study guide refers to the 1997 G. P. Putnam’s Sons hardback edition.At the start of the story, the... Read The Roaring Girl Summary
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies
Tags Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Robber Bride by Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood was originally published in the United States in 1993. It tells the story of three women who suffer betrayal at the hands of a fourth woman, Zenia. The novel was inspired by The Robber Bridegroom, a 19th century German fairy tale which Atwood updates to 1990s Toronto. It combines Atwood’s notable sense of humor with her attention to contemporary political issues such as feminism and environmentalism. The... Read The Robber Bride Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Community
Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Loneliness, Midlife, Family, Marriage, Self Discovery, Community
Tags Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy