Sisters in Two Worlds: A Visual Biography of Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill

by Michael Peterman, Charlotte Gray (Introduction)

Containing two hundred colour and black-and-white images, many of them never-before published, this extraordinary book chronicles the lives of two exceptional and inspirational women: sisters, writers, pioneers, and forces of the Canadian imagination.

“These two women exert a timeless fascination . . . [their] story reminds us, as Canadians, of where we have come from and how far we have travelled.”
—Charlotte Gray, in the introduction to Sisters in Two Worlds.

Their childhood was spent in a manor house in the Suffolk countryside. As aspiring young authors, they attended literary evenings in the drawing rooms of Georgian London. But in 1832 Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill crossed the Atlantic to embark on new lives in the backwoods of Upper Canada where they struggled to survive and raise their families in a strange and often hostile world. By the light of homemade candles, Susanna and Catharine wrote about their experiences, producing such enduring classics as Roughing it in the Bush and The Backwoods of Canada. And Catharine’s beautifully illustrated books on Canadian plants and wildflowers were the first of their kind.

Sisters in Two Worlds recreates the remarkable lives of these two pioneering writers. Its absorbing narrative is complemented by modern colour photographs of the places they knew, combined with archival images, paintings, letters, and family artifacts. Written by Canada’s foremost Moodie/Traill scholar, this visual biography is an informative new look at two of this country’s seminal writers and a remarkable tapestry of life in early Canada.

Genres: Canada, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2007

Reviews

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This is a great accompaniment to “The Backwoods of Canada” and “Roughing it in the Bush.” It gives much more insight and detail into the lives of Catharine Parr Trail and Susanna Moodie. The pictures of the houses and scenery are delicious, for the most part; the old books and handwritten papers are lovely; all the extracts and poetry are delightful. (And the women in hoopskirts and ringlets—ah!!) Note there is one of inappropriate picture of a goddess and another woman, also a lengthy mention of spiritualism (in which the Moodies and Mrs. Traill participated somewhat) and the Fox sisters. This is not the best read for younger children. Recommended for ages 15 +.

*This review was written a few days after reading it so I may have forgotten some content.*

[JennLynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book, well-researched and generously illustrated, on the lives of pioneering sisters Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Trail. It provides fascinating insights into the challenges of both their wilderness and writing lives and paints a very clear picture of how difficult life was for early Canadian settlers. It does have its sad spots which makes for a bit of a melancholy read at times, but theirs were not easy lives. And it certainly makes one appreciate the luxuries of modern life.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect companion book to Roughing it in the Bush. It explains so many things that I did not understand and also has tons of pictures. Wonderful!

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book that starts out about five sisters in Suffolk in the 19th century and two that went to Canada and became recognised writers. My family also came from Suffolk around the same time and lived not that far away from them. The lived unconventional lives in Suffolk and Canada for the time period. Most of the sisters turned their hands to writing and while none of them were actually very famous in the sense of George Eliot or Dr Johnson they did get some celebrity from it. The two sisters who lived in Canada Susanna and Catherine had many difficult times and even in their own relationship to each other and the remaining sisters in England they nevertheless persevered. For better and for worse Canada was their home and they endured and in many ways were happy there. A must read for anyone interested in Canadian history, pinoeering women and settlers in North America.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and wonderful! These sisters have always intrigued me. It his book is an interesting and well written reading companion to the sisters' books!

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was absolutely wonderful. The sisters were very brave and had amazing though somewhat sad lives. I look forward to reading more about such women in future.