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The Castor’s Choice
“By turns heartfelt and humorous, thoughtful and fascinating, Wilson knows of what he writes, and he writes very well.” ― Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour
John E. McDonald believes himself to be very lucky indeed. A tenure-track professor who’s been given the office once occupied by Lester B. Pearson, McDonald is admired for his take on Canadian history, which investigates the role played by Indigenous peoples and women, who made possible the exploits of the supposed “great men of history.” McDonald’s take is unorthodox, fresh, and challenging; it’s more compassionate and inclusive. He’s motivated in no small part to escape the long shadow of his bombastically conservative father.
Quickly, though, McDonald’s world begins to unravel. He loses his office to another professor, his beloved older brother is beset with a health issue, and he begins a romance with an opera singer. Determined to make a new start, he leaves his tenure-track position at a large urban university to be a sessional in a smaller institution, where he’s asked to participate in a competition, the prize for which is a sixteen-million dollar endowment for a chair in Canadian history.
With deft comic turns and strikingly touching moments, Jeff Wilson’s The Castor’s Choice touches the heart, the brain, and the funny bone.
John E. McDonald believes himself to be very lucky indeed. A tenure-track professor who’s been given the office once occupied by Lester B. Pearson, McDonald is admired for his take on Canadian history, which investigates the role played by Indigenous peoples and women, who made possible the exploits of the supposed “great men of history.” McDonald’s take is unorthodox, fresh, and challenging; it’s more compassionate and inclusive. He’s motivated in no small part to escape the long shadow of his bombastically conservative father.
Quickly, though, McDonald’s world begins to unravel. He loses his office to another professor, his beloved older brother is beset with a health issue, and he begins a romance with an opera singer. Determined to make a new start, he leaves his tenure-track position at a large urban university to be a sessional in a smaller institution, where he’s asked to participate in a competition, the prize for which is a sixteen-million dollar endowment for a chair in Canadian history.
With deft comic turns and strikingly touching moments, Jeff Wilson’s The Castor’s Choice touches the heart, the brain, and the funny bone.
306 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2025
About the author
Jeff Wilson
158 books7 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 19, 2025
Oh no... I'm the first one to post... Sigh...
This would have been far better suited to a collection of essays - seeing as most of this title is little more than a massive info-dump, schooling the reader on a different perspective on Canadian history, particularly as it relates to Indigenous history.
The idea is fine but as a novel it’s a stretch.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.
This would have been far better suited to a collection of essays - seeing as most of this title is little more than a massive info-dump, schooling the reader on a different perspective on Canadian history, particularly as it relates to Indigenous history.
The idea is fine but as a novel it’s a stretch.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.
November 29, 2025
An enjoyable story with the opportunity dig further into Canadian history. The author obviously likes Canadian history and has spent a considerable amount of time learning about it. A great way to learn and be entertained at the same time. I'd highly recommend this read - especially for people in Canada !
August 24, 2025
Funny and informative. I couldn’t put it down. A must read!
April 13, 2026
What fun read! Excellent charaters & a great story are held together in an effortless style that keeps the pages turning.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews