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Elbows Up!: Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance
A blazing collection of responses to the ongoing Canada v. America trade war and ensuing swell of national unity, from a remarkable array of some of our sharpest and most influential Canadian minds.
It feels disorienting, and at times existential, to watch a trade war escalate and to hear an American president vow to make Canada the “51st state.” But amid the disorientation, there is an urgent how do we meet the moment?
The fact that treaties can be broken, that resources can be stolen, and that the consequences of land theft include loss of culture, ritual, and identity is not new to the Indigenous and refugee peoples living in this country. But to many other Canadians, this kind of threat is new. As a result, there appears to be a new sense of a “we” emerging. People are angry and standing together with renewed shared purpose. The swell of Canadian pride is undeniable and important to acknowledge. This is a pivotal moment in history to take stock of how we got here, to learn from our past and walk tenaciously together into an uncertain future.
Inspired by the 1968 collection The New Candid Canadian Opinions of the US, this new anthology will be edited by bestselling author and CBC host Elamin Abdelmahmoud, and will feature responses from Margaret Atwood, Omar El Akkad, Jesse Wente, Atom Egoyan, Canisia Lubrin, Tom Power, Niigaan Sinclair, Jay Baruchel, and many more, speaking candidly on America, and Canada, and the malleable contours of a national narrative still taking hold.
It feels disorienting, and at times existential, to watch a trade war escalate and to hear an American president vow to make Canada the “51st state.” But amid the disorientation, there is an urgent how do we meet the moment?
The fact that treaties can be broken, that resources can be stolen, and that the consequences of land theft include loss of culture, ritual, and identity is not new to the Indigenous and refugee peoples living in this country. But to many other Canadians, this kind of threat is new. As a result, there appears to be a new sense of a “we” emerging. People are angry and standing together with renewed shared purpose. The swell of Canadian pride is undeniable and important to acknowledge. This is a pivotal moment in history to take stock of how we got here, to learn from our past and walk tenaciously together into an uncertain future.
Inspired by the 1968 collection The New Candid Canadian Opinions of the US, this new anthology will be edited by bestselling author and CBC host Elamin Abdelmahmoud, and will feature responses from Margaret Atwood, Omar El Akkad, Jesse Wente, Atom Egoyan, Canisia Lubrin, Tom Power, Niigaan Sinclair, Jay Baruchel, and many more, speaking candidly on America, and Canada, and the malleable contours of a national narrative still taking hold.
312 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
February 25, 2026
Elbows Up!: Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance is a new work modeled after 1968's The New Romans: Candid Canadian Opinions of the U.S.. In the original works, members of the Canadian literati spoke out against American Imperialism during the Vietnam War, a particularly fraught time in Canada/US relations. In Elbows Up!, some of the same authors (Margaret Atwood) and modern members of the literati take inspiration from this past work, amid our own times of fraught relations. Canada and the US over the past 40 years have been intertwined. I have vacationed to Washington D.C., crossed the border many times, and have had great conversations with Americans who I considered brothers. We fought in their war in Afghanistan, losing hundreds of our country men to protect their "interests". And in 2025, second term president Donald Trump threatened to annex us, calling our border an artificial line, and cajoling, tariffing and destroying the diplomatic cooperation we have had for the past half-century, all in about a year.
Canadians are not happy about this. It is a betrayal, sure. But it is also the things our parents warned us about. Creeping US control in our country. Supply lines down to American factories. American shows and music on our airwaves. We have stopped thinking for ourselves, and just mindlessly consumed American content over this time. Here I am writing about this book on one of their tech giants book review sites - a free ad for the Amazon giant. This book is an interesting finger on the pulse. I found it vapid, confused and messy, but also inspiring and interesting to see history repeating itself. It is shallow, sure. Statistics, history, economics, not present, but instead a primal fury at the threat to our nationalism. Canada has always struggled with nationalism. Like the Germans after WWII, Canada has been examining past treatments of its indigenous peoples, and having complex conversations on what that means for national identity, for governance. It also has complex histories of separatism, with these issues again popping their heads up in Quebec, and more surprisingly, in Alberta. The latter has been heavily influenced by American donors, and separatist leaders have met with their US counterparts in recent weeks. Although polling low, it is clear that separatism in Alberta is a plot to destroy our nation, another threat to annex, to destroy.
America is no longer a friend, but a threat. As Imperialism comes back into style down south, I know in my heart it never went away. The past 40 years have been a great time for Canadian-American relations, because America got everything they wanted from us, and we lost control of ourselves. Maybe more dangerous than the direct annexation from Donald Trump, is the slow, sleepy poison his predecessors have been slipping into our tea. How do we decouple? Well, it takes time. It's a dangerous dance. Push to hard, and there may be tanks over the border. It may lead to collapse, to separatism and war. We need to play our cards right. Buy less American produce, food and manufactured goods. Support our European allies and fight against imperialism wherever we see it. And never again, trust the Americans. Over time, we build for ourselves. We integrate, we ally and we wait. Imperialism is a great stain on this Earth, and over time, those Empires crumble and fall. It will happen to all of them, we just need to wait.
An inspiring read, both in how it communicates our interdependence with the US, and how it communicates the outrage being collectively felt across a nation. A rallying cry to listen to ourselves, and not our neighbours, it is worth a read for any Canadian out there, and a great reading list of Canadian authors to support.
Canadians are not happy about this. It is a betrayal, sure. But it is also the things our parents warned us about. Creeping US control in our country. Supply lines down to American factories. American shows and music on our airwaves. We have stopped thinking for ourselves, and just mindlessly consumed American content over this time. Here I am writing about this book on one of their tech giants book review sites - a free ad for the Amazon giant. This book is an interesting finger on the pulse. I found it vapid, confused and messy, but also inspiring and interesting to see history repeating itself. It is shallow, sure. Statistics, history, economics, not present, but instead a primal fury at the threat to our nationalism. Canada has always struggled with nationalism. Like the Germans after WWII, Canada has been examining past treatments of its indigenous peoples, and having complex conversations on what that means for national identity, for governance. It also has complex histories of separatism, with these issues again popping their heads up in Quebec, and more surprisingly, in Alberta. The latter has been heavily influenced by American donors, and separatist leaders have met with their US counterparts in recent weeks. Although polling low, it is clear that separatism in Alberta is a plot to destroy our nation, another threat to annex, to destroy.
America is no longer a friend, but a threat. As Imperialism comes back into style down south, I know in my heart it never went away. The past 40 years have been a great time for Canadian-American relations, because America got everything they wanted from us, and we lost control of ourselves. Maybe more dangerous than the direct annexation from Donald Trump, is the slow, sleepy poison his predecessors have been slipping into our tea. How do we decouple? Well, it takes time. It's a dangerous dance. Push to hard, and there may be tanks over the border. It may lead to collapse, to separatism and war. We need to play our cards right. Buy less American produce, food and manufactured goods. Support our European allies and fight against imperialism wherever we see it. And never again, trust the Americans. Over time, we build for ourselves. We integrate, we ally and we wait. Imperialism is a great stain on this Earth, and over time, those Empires crumble and fall. It will happen to all of them, we just need to wait.
An inspiring read, both in how it communicates our interdependence with the US, and how it communicates the outrage being collectively felt across a nation. A rallying cry to listen to ourselves, and not our neighbours, it is worth a read for any Canadian out there, and a great reading list of Canadian authors to support.
October 23, 2025
Of late I've become more aware of the events taking place south of Canada and it's effect on our relationship with the US and Canadians feelings about it. I saw Elbows Up!: Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance, a book of essays edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud at my local book store and because the expression has become a rallying cry in Canada, I thought it might be worth checking out.
I started reading it right away (yes, even neglecting the many other books I've got on the go) and it was a relatively easy read; short essays by a variety of writers, making it easy to put down after each chapter. This book was put together by Leslie Hurtig, who runs the Vancouver Writers Festival and Stephanie Sinclair, a McClelland & Stewart publisher. Back in 1965, Leslie's father, Mel Hurtig and Canadian poet Al Purdy, put together a similar book The New Romans, to counteract / discuss the effects of the US on Canadian life, culture and economy.
The original book concept was sent out to a variety of Canadians asking, 'What some well known Canadians really think of Americans and the US.' Four of the contributions to this original book; by Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler, Margaret Laurence and Farley Mowat are included in Elbows Up as well.
In this book, we have essays, stories, poetry from 29 Canadians (including the 4 from the previous book). They include indigenous authors, immigrants, Quebecers, men / women, people from the arts, sports, politics, etc. The book takes a look at Canada, its imperfections (mistreatment of its indigenous peoples, its racism towards immigrants, its kowtowing to American business), its possibilities and just its history and its future. The varied voices offer different writing styles, different emotional content, differing ideas, all told thoughtfully and making interesting reading.
I thought it would be a book about Canada's anger at what is happening down South; Trump's trade war with Canada, his steady declarations that we should be the 51st state. And that is an aspect of the book, to be fair. But it's so much more than that. I think the main point is whether we can make Canada the place that we think it is, kinder, generous to all of its citizens, but also strong enough to stand on its own and making it a place worth defending. (I've probably simplified that much too much)
Anyway, I'm glad I read it. It's made me think some more about my country and the people that make it up. Definitely worth reading. (4.0 stars)
I started reading it right away (yes, even neglecting the many other books I've got on the go) and it was a relatively easy read; short essays by a variety of writers, making it easy to put down after each chapter. This book was put together by Leslie Hurtig, who runs the Vancouver Writers Festival and Stephanie Sinclair, a McClelland & Stewart publisher. Back in 1965, Leslie's father, Mel Hurtig and Canadian poet Al Purdy, put together a similar book The New Romans, to counteract / discuss the effects of the US on Canadian life, culture and economy.
The original book concept was sent out to a variety of Canadians asking, 'What some well known Canadians really think of Americans and the US.' Four of the contributions to this original book; by Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler, Margaret Laurence and Farley Mowat are included in Elbows Up as well.
In this book, we have essays, stories, poetry from 29 Canadians (including the 4 from the previous book). They include indigenous authors, immigrants, Quebecers, men / women, people from the arts, sports, politics, etc. The book takes a look at Canada, its imperfections (mistreatment of its indigenous peoples, its racism towards immigrants, its kowtowing to American business), its possibilities and just its history and its future. The varied voices offer different writing styles, different emotional content, differing ideas, all told thoughtfully and making interesting reading.
I thought it would be a book about Canada's anger at what is happening down South; Trump's trade war with Canada, his steady declarations that we should be the 51st state. And that is an aspect of the book, to be fair. But it's so much more than that. I think the main point is whether we can make Canada the place that we think it is, kinder, generous to all of its citizens, but also strong enough to stand on its own and making it a place worth defending. (I've probably simplified that much too much)
Anyway, I'm glad I read it. It's made me think some more about my country and the people that make it up. Definitely worth reading. (4.0 stars)
December 29, 2025
Trump's threats to make Canada the "51st state" horrified me, so when I saw this book I took the opportunity to learn what Canadians are thinking. I wish it was talked about more in the US so I could rest assured that Americans would never stand for it. As an American of French Canadian descent I have absolute respect for Canada's sovereignty. I hope the voices such as the writers in this book will reach the ears of American powers that be.
April 12, 2026
Diverse essays, including one that particularly moved me by Jen Sookfon Lee.
Did Not Finish
July 17, 2026📱📖 Read on Kindle
📃 312 pages
⏱ Duration: ~5 hours
🏷️ Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
This anthology opens with Margaret Atwood, and her piece alone is worth talking about. The woman's genius just drips off the page, sharp and unbothered in a way that immediately tells you this collection is not messing around.
Unfortunately, that's exactly where I hit a wall Elbows Up! is a hard-hitting, unflinching collection of essays wrestling with the Canada-US trade war, the "51st state" rhetoric, and what national identity even means when the ground feels this unstable. It's political, it's urgent, and it does not soften a single blow.
But it's also just not my lane. I gravitate towards lighter non-fiction, memoirs, ways-of-life stuff, things with a gentler hand. This one asked more of me, politically and emotionally, than I had the bandwidth for. So, with a heavy heart, I made the call to set it down. Sometimes, a book is genuinely good and you are still the wrong reader for it.
📃 312 pages
⏱ Duration: ~5 hours
🏷️ Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
This anthology opens with Margaret Atwood, and her piece alone is worth talking about. The woman's genius just drips off the page, sharp and unbothered in a way that immediately tells you this collection is not messing around.
Unfortunately, that's exactly where I hit a wall Elbows Up! is a hard-hitting, unflinching collection of essays wrestling with the Canada-US trade war, the "51st state" rhetoric, and what national identity even means when the ground feels this unstable. It's political, it's urgent, and it does not soften a single blow.
But it's also just not my lane. I gravitate towards lighter non-fiction, memoirs, ways-of-life stuff, things with a gentler hand. This one asked more of me, politically and emotionally, than I had the bandwidth for. So, with a heavy heart, I made the call to set it down. Sometimes, a book is genuinely good and you are still the wrong reader for it.
July 16, 2026
I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book. Looking for some answers perhaps, to questions about the recent presidentially inflicted crisis of identity? Or perhaps just to hear the perspective of a diverse group of writers about how they view Canada.
To be honest, I found the tempo up and down; some of the writing was hard to stay with, while other essays were enlightening. Some of the First Nations voices about imperialism were aha moments. Other essays just felt like a pep talk about being Canadian. On the whole, I’m glad to have read it.
To be honest, I found the tempo up and down; some of the writing was hard to stay with, while other essays were enlightening. Some of the First Nations voices about imperialism were aha moments. Other essays just felt like a pep talk about being Canadian. On the whole, I’m glad to have read it.
December 15, 2025
I was expecting this book to be dry, but it’s anything but. The 30 writers are representative of Canada itself—LGBTQ, Indigenous, people of colour, disabled folks, and more—and the writing is accessible and includes essays, short stories and—my favourite—a cartoon. I’d definitely recommend.
November 16, 2025
Some of the essays in this collection are brilliant, but a few of them are absolutely tiresome.
April 13, 2026
I've been doing multiple ferry crossings between the BC lower mainland and Nanaimo lately, and this book jumped out at me from the BC Ferries gift store shelves back in February. Elamin Abdhelmahmoud has appeared on CBC's At Issue Panel, hosted by Rosemary Barton, several times over the years, so I thought it would be interesting to see what his curated collection of Canadian voices had to say about the last couple years of Canada's suffering under MAGA and Trump 2.0.
The title, "Elbows Up!" is a hockey euphemism reinvigorated and slyly applied by Mike Myers last year on SNL to encourage Canadians to start standing up to the Orange President's attacks on our sovereignty and those of other nations. It is indeed a well-chosen moniker for this book, a collection of essays by various Canadians from current pop-culture, journalism, and academia (Jay Baruchel, Carol Off, Peter Mansbridge, Ken Dryden, Margaret Atwood, and so on) on how Canadians have, for far too-long, continually caved-in to American pressure to open our markets at the expense of our unique cultural identity and values. Abdhelmahmoud based the idea on a collection made in the late 1960s (after Expo) called The New Romans: Candid Canadian Opinions of the U.S..
Like any collection, some pieces are spot on, while others wander off into what felt like off-topic self-promotions, but on the whole, I was impressed. I had never thought of Jay Baruchel (aka Hiccump in How to Train Your Dragon) as a writer of Canadian cultural identity. But he is.
It was a pleasure to read essay after essay of the thoughts of so many talented, eloquent Canadians, many of whom, sadly, I'd never heard of. Then again, as the premise of the collection tries to point out, how can I have? Living next to this hegemonic elephant as we Canadian mice do, it is lucky we can even hear ourselves think. The book gave me some hope that we Canadians, and the world, are not too late in strengthening our own ideas, resolving our common values, and treading our own political path until our southern neighbours, once again, come to their senses.
The title, "Elbows Up!" is a hockey euphemism reinvigorated and slyly applied by Mike Myers last year on SNL to encourage Canadians to start standing up to the Orange President's attacks on our sovereignty and those of other nations. It is indeed a well-chosen moniker for this book, a collection of essays by various Canadians from current pop-culture, journalism, and academia (Jay Baruchel, Carol Off, Peter Mansbridge, Ken Dryden, Margaret Atwood, and so on) on how Canadians have, for far too-long, continually caved-in to American pressure to open our markets at the expense of our unique cultural identity and values. Abdhelmahmoud based the idea on a collection made in the late 1960s (after Expo) called The New Romans: Candid Canadian Opinions of the U.S..
Like any collection, some pieces are spot on, while others wander off into what felt like off-topic self-promotions, but on the whole, I was impressed. I had never thought of Jay Baruchel (aka Hiccump in How to Train Your Dragon) as a writer of Canadian cultural identity. But he is.
It was a pleasure to read essay after essay of the thoughts of so many talented, eloquent Canadians, many of whom, sadly, I'd never heard of. Then again, as the premise of the collection tries to point out, how can I have? Living next to this hegemonic elephant as we Canadian mice do, it is lucky we can even hear ourselves think. The book gave me some hope that we Canadians, and the world, are not too late in strengthening our own ideas, resolving our common values, and treading our own political path until our southern neighbours, once again, come to their senses.
May 10, 2026
I went into this collection expecting to feel a spark of inspiration, as the book positions itself as a way to analyze Canadian history and culture while also inspiring our national identity. Unfortunately, it left me feeling lacklustre more than anything else.
The book focuses heavily on Canada’s "borrowed identity," it feels like it remains there. That perspective isn’t wrong, but I was expecting a little more based on the title, and it failed to make me feel connected to or very patriotic at all. Margaret Atwood’s essay was easily my personal favourite, but not memorable enough, I would argue, to purchase the book over. Her perspective after having written so many novels that have gone on to be influential in pop and political culture was enticing.
For a book meant to stir something in Canadian readers, it more so felt like a study of what we lack rather than a celebration of what we have. That said, it is still an introspective read, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to take a deeper look at modern society and how we got here.
The book focuses heavily on Canada’s "borrowed identity," it feels like it remains there. That perspective isn’t wrong, but I was expecting a little more based on the title, and it failed to make me feel connected to or very patriotic at all. Margaret Atwood’s essay was easily my personal favourite, but not memorable enough, I would argue, to purchase the book over. Her perspective after having written so many novels that have gone on to be influential in pop and political culture was enticing.
For a book meant to stir something in Canadian readers, it more so felt like a study of what we lack rather than a celebration of what we have. That said, it is still an introspective read, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to take a deeper look at modern society and how we got here.
December 26, 2025
This was a very interesting book and I enjoyed reading the various essays and letters from a wide range of Canadian writers, actors, musicians and hockey players., among others..white, indiginous, immigrant and LGBTQ. Most essays are current, written in 2025, and address the current political and rather upsetting situation going on with the U.S., but some were taken from Al Purdy's The New Romans (published in 1968!!!) most notably Farley Mowatt and Mordechai Richler. The content of each essay is personal to each author and the essays are all completely different. Of course some authors are more successful than others in describing how and why the hegemon to the south has upset Canadians and created this new Canadian nationalism. Elbows up, Canada!
October 26, 2025
I started reading this book earlier this month and then while attending the Vancouver Writers Fest this year I met Elamin Abdelmahmoud and got to tell him how I was loving reading this timely book! I also got to meet contributors Leslie Hurtig and Canisia Lubrin at the festival! This book also features several of my favourite authors Margaret Atwood and David A. Robertson. I found David A. Robertson’s piece quite moving and I especially loved the piece by Jeanne Beker. It was so interesting to read from such varied perspectives of such notable Canadians.
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the eARC and via Libro.fm for the ALC!
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the eARC and via Libro.fm for the ALC!
January 4, 2026
I wanted to love this way more than I did... because of the title - and subject matter - and because of Elamin.
Sadly this collection was just way too uneven. Some moments of brilliance, but far too many of mediocrity (or worse).
Sadly this collection was just way too uneven. Some moments of brilliance, but far too many of mediocrity (or worse).
Read
May 29, 2026I don’t love Canada but I do loveeee hating the U.S.! 🤪
In all seriousness this was, like most anthologies, a mixed bag, but there were some really genuinely great pieces in here, especially from Indigenous writers. I also loved that a lot of it focused on the Canadian arts landscape - I actually learned a ton about how politics and policy have shaped (and hindered) local artists over the last decades.
In all seriousness this was, like most anthologies, a mixed bag, but there were some really genuinely great pieces in here, especially from Indigenous writers. I also loved that a lot of it focused on the Canadian arts landscape - I actually learned a ton about how politics and policy have shaped (and hindered) local artists over the last decades.
January 16, 2026
Loved reading this and appreciated the essays from others I hadn’t read before.
November 8, 2025
An amazing array of prominent Canadians with small essays. Each one reflecting on our national
Identity, but from so many perspectives- Indigenous, Francophone, LGBTQ+, expats in California, writers, singers, fashionistas, etc etc. And yet all responding to our present existential crisis with a swell of national pride.
Identity, but from so many perspectives- Indigenous, Francophone, LGBTQ+, expats in California, writers, singers, fashionistas, etc etc. And yet all responding to our present existential crisis with a swell of national pride.
January 20, 2026
Filled with a range of stories and perspectives from diverse authors, written in many different styles. I love how it weaves together Canada’s past and ongoing struggle with who we are. It left me with some hope for all Canada can be in a changing world.
June 17, 2026
Elbows Up!: Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance by Elamin Abdelmahmoud (Editor), Various. This follow up to The New Romans (1968) is a collection of essays put together by Canadians to “stand on our hind legs and say what we think.“ It is a collection of Canadian voices writing about the hurt and betrayal we feel as our neighbours to the south talk of annexation, drop bullying tariffs, and try to diminish our sovereignty by calling our country, their 51st state.
My takeaways and things that will stick with me are: 1. Canadians enthusiasm for themselves is cyclical. 2. The word existential is used often and by each author. 3. Omar El Akkad reasons that our anger is due to a decades long friendship and bond being degraded in a “shamelessly transactional way.” 4. There were two opposing factions in Canada when Mulrooney negotiated the first Free Trade Agreement with the US one that thought it would benefit the economy, and the other that was fearful we would become too dependent on a larger and richer country creating unequal leverage which has led us to where we are today. 5. We did this to the indigenous people and now we can understand how they feel and learn from them, how they handled invasion, exploitation, and colonial systems. 6. Canada‘s core values are indigenous values. 7. Things are going to get worse before they get better. 8. Don’t piss off French Canadians. 9. Fascism rises when the heroes, our soldiers who fought for freedom, are gone. Their sacrifice “would only buy us time until the memories ran out.“ 10. Canada has an identity problem, but what joins us is saying that we don’t want to become the USA. 11. Despite our identity problem, no matter where you look, in fashion, hockey, acting, literature, and music there is an absolute feeling of being Canadian and a feeling of our collective history. 12. We have already lived through this. We know how to fight. 13. What truly makes us Canadian is wanting the best for each other. The money put into healthcare, the arts, sports, and our culture is what helps make us Canadian. 14. Canada has done some historically really really awful things. Colonialism, oppression, residential schools, Chinese laborers, Japanese internment caps just to name a few. Reconciliation is so important. We are fighting for a Canada that is going to be better for our unborn great grandchildren. 15. “The continued predominant of American, cultural on our screens, has led to a centuries worth of psychic grooming for annexation. We continue to give priority to American culture at the expense of our own. We continue to view ourselves through foreign eyes.” Jay Baruchel. NFB, TC and the Canada Council For Arts are the last defence for keeping Canadian culture in our society. 16. Americans came to Canadians rescue in 1917 after the Halifax Harbour explosion. Canadians rose to the occasion in Gander after 9/11. We are more than just geographical neighbours but our children are seeing and hearing our boos and boycotts, and this will become their history. 17. The current American dictatorship did not come out of nowhere. 18. Post media runs the majority of Canadian newspapers and 66% are owned by US investment companies. 19. Canadians feel betrayed by America, the trust has been broken. Unfortunately what happens in America affects us so it’s a frustrating situation. 20. The world order is changing and what comes next, we don’t know.
My takeaways and things that will stick with me are: 1. Canadians enthusiasm for themselves is cyclical. 2. The word existential is used often and by each author. 3. Omar El Akkad reasons that our anger is due to a decades long friendship and bond being degraded in a “shamelessly transactional way.” 4. There were two opposing factions in Canada when Mulrooney negotiated the first Free Trade Agreement with the US one that thought it would benefit the economy, and the other that was fearful we would become too dependent on a larger and richer country creating unequal leverage which has led us to where we are today. 5. We did this to the indigenous people and now we can understand how they feel and learn from them, how they handled invasion, exploitation, and colonial systems. 6. Canada‘s core values are indigenous values. 7. Things are going to get worse before they get better. 8. Don’t piss off French Canadians. 9. Fascism rises when the heroes, our soldiers who fought for freedom, are gone. Their sacrifice “would only buy us time until the memories ran out.“ 10. Canada has an identity problem, but what joins us is saying that we don’t want to become the USA. 11. Despite our identity problem, no matter where you look, in fashion, hockey, acting, literature, and music there is an absolute feeling of being Canadian and a feeling of our collective history. 12. We have already lived through this. We know how to fight. 13. What truly makes us Canadian is wanting the best for each other. The money put into healthcare, the arts, sports, and our culture is what helps make us Canadian. 14. Canada has done some historically really really awful things. Colonialism, oppression, residential schools, Chinese laborers, Japanese internment caps just to name a few. Reconciliation is so important. We are fighting for a Canada that is going to be better for our unborn great grandchildren. 15. “The continued predominant of American, cultural on our screens, has led to a centuries worth of psychic grooming for annexation. We continue to give priority to American culture at the expense of our own. We continue to view ourselves through foreign eyes.” Jay Baruchel. NFB, TC and the Canada Council For Arts are the last defence for keeping Canadian culture in our society. 16. Americans came to Canadians rescue in 1917 after the Halifax Harbour explosion. Canadians rose to the occasion in Gander after 9/11. We are more than just geographical neighbours but our children are seeing and hearing our boos and boycotts, and this will become their history. 17. The current American dictatorship did not come out of nowhere. 18. Post media runs the majority of Canadian newspapers and 66% are owned by US investment companies. 19. Canadians feel betrayed by America, the trust has been broken. Unfortunately what happens in America affects us so it’s a frustrating situation. 20. The world order is changing and what comes next, we don’t know.
December 7, 2025
3.5/5
This book is a series of essays by various authors in response to Trump's "51st state" comments earlier this year. The rapidity of its publication, high technical skill of its writing, and tone, is rather impressive. And yet, I'm struggling to rate it. How do you rate something where some of its essays are excellent and others are rather poor?
I discovered this book after attending a panel of its authors at the Toronto International Festival of Authors in the Fall. The discussion on the panel, the questions from the audience, and (now that I've read it) the content of the book really focus on what Canadian identity should be.
Here's what struck me the most: all the white people in the room were expressing various ideas of hope , Canadian strength, and all the ways Canada was "not like" the U.S.
Everyone else, not so much.
Several comments, from individuals who had immigrated to Canada, or children of immigrants, stated that many elements of "Canadian identity" didn't seem to include them, and that they didn't feel welcome in traditionally Canadian spaces. Jesse Wente, panelist and Genaabaajing Anishinaabek First Nation writer, made the point that Canada has a dark colonial and genocidal past, just like the US; finding a Canadian identity is impossible without reconciliation. Overall, each of these speakers was asking the room not to ignore Canada's present and historical skeletons while searching for what being Canadian really meant.
This dichotomy is also present in the book. Several of the essays are piercing, incisive, illuminating, passionate, sober assessments of Canada, its troubled history, and what is necessary to build Canada stronger.
Unfortunately, many are tone deaf, hollow, vague pieces of writing extolling how excellent Canada is. I'm not sure what the point of those pieces is; they are not inspiring; they feel out of touch; there are no tangible calls to action. All of them are written by white cishet men and women.
Should you read this book? Yes; large parts of it are truly excellent. Just know what to expect from the rest.
This book is a series of essays by various authors in response to Trump's "51st state" comments earlier this year. The rapidity of its publication, high technical skill of its writing, and tone, is rather impressive. And yet, I'm struggling to rate it. How do you rate something where some of its essays are excellent and others are rather poor?
I discovered this book after attending a panel of its authors at the Toronto International Festival of Authors in the Fall. The discussion on the panel, the questions from the audience, and (now that I've read it) the content of the book really focus on what Canadian identity should be.
Here's what struck me the most: all the white people in the room were expressing various ideas of hope , Canadian strength, and all the ways Canada was "not like" the U.S.
Everyone else, not so much.
Several comments, from individuals who had immigrated to Canada, or children of immigrants, stated that many elements of "Canadian identity" didn't seem to include them, and that they didn't feel welcome in traditionally Canadian spaces. Jesse Wente, panelist and Genaabaajing Anishinaabek First Nation writer, made the point that Canada has a dark colonial and genocidal past, just like the US; finding a Canadian identity is impossible without reconciliation. Overall, each of these speakers was asking the room not to ignore Canada's present and historical skeletons while searching for what being Canadian really meant.
This dichotomy is also present in the book. Several of the essays are piercing, incisive, illuminating, passionate, sober assessments of Canada, its troubled history, and what is necessary to build Canada stronger.
Unfortunately, many are tone deaf, hollow, vague pieces of writing extolling how excellent Canada is. I'm not sure what the point of those pieces is; they are not inspiring; they feel out of touch; there are no tangible calls to action. All of them are written by white cishet men and women.
Should you read this book? Yes; large parts of it are truly excellent. Just know what to expect from the rest.
January 2, 2026
For many like me who grew up in border states, Canada always seemed like a sister country, and Trump's efforts to break our relationship with it one of the most disheartening of all his many breakages. We learned to sing O Canada in elementary school. We cheered on our Original Six teams. It was a country we vacationed in frequently, needing no passport. It had accepted our runaway slaves, our Vietnam dodgers, and now, our Trump escapees. We didn't really stop to think how we were viewed, going the other direction. Maybe we didn't need a passport for some other reason Didn't need one for Mexico either. Did it mean friendliness? Or ownership? Have we been Borg, adding their cultural distinctiveness to our own? Carol Off's piece describes "sucking up to Reagan". And here I thought Trump invented sucking up. Her piece later describes some great broadcasting history I never knew. Basically that sums up this book. The view from the other side, with lots of incredible detail of Canadian social and cultural history. Like all Canadian writing, the essays are word candy; I've come to think any average Canadian can write better than our better American writers. I loved Catherine Leroux's "word people" (I do think her essay should have been presented in the original). I howled at Ann-Marie Macdonald's observation that the US chose a national anthem "that commemorates a battle from a war they lost - to Canada." She later comments "whatever our failings as a country, we're not as bad as the States" which made me laugh because certain people in Georgia, faced with dismal health and education statistics, always are glad for Mississippi or Alabama. The anthology provides a good array of Canada's different voices from the provinces and territories with First Nations and immigrant voices mixed in. If there was any lack, it might have been from the Maritimes, though probably my favorite piece was that of Newfoundlander Tom Power. It describes such a compelling voyage of discovery. As Mordechai Richler writes in 1968 "we are nicer. And suddenly that's important." Trump and his Brownshirts are things to be opposed, and not only for Canada's sake.
January 24, 2026
I enjoyed the diversity of this book, I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of indigenous voices highlighted here, as they have been through this before, and I do truely believe the only way to work through this is by listening to them.
The only gripe I had was the complete erasure of the people of l'Acadie. Many writers agreed that one major thing distinguishing us from the US is French, and "French Canadians" were mentioned throughout the book. However, I realized very quickly that they meant the Québécois. While it is true that Québécois have retained their culture and language, so has l'Acadie. As an anglophone second-gen Canadian living in New Brunswick (the only officially bilingual province in the country!), I get to experience the persistence and beauty of a culture that is threatened by the domination of English. As I grew up learning French in school, hearing it in public, learning that it was the mother tongue of many of my closest friends, and learning that Canada has two official languages, I assumed that every Canadian had a least a general comprehension of both languages. After beginning my studies of French in university with students from all over the country, I was shocked to learn that French-language classes are seen as jokes in their part of the country. Despite coming from a 100% Anglo family, this angered me. Funnily enough, I also hated the French immersion classes growing up, but decided to major in it in university, where my love for the language blossomed, and so did my pride as a bilingual Canadian. I guess my point is that, in a time where the question of what i means to be Canadian is once again thrust into the zeitgeist, look no further than the humble province of New Brunswick. Here, we have majority French and English communities, with Moncton bridging both communities seamlessly. The people of Acadie fought for this for well over a century, and deserve to have their voices heard.
The only gripe I had was the complete erasure of the people of l'Acadie. Many writers agreed that one major thing distinguishing us from the US is French, and "French Canadians" were mentioned throughout the book. However, I realized very quickly that they meant the Québécois. While it is true that Québécois have retained their culture and language, so has l'Acadie. As an anglophone second-gen Canadian living in New Brunswick (the only officially bilingual province in the country!), I get to experience the persistence and beauty of a culture that is threatened by the domination of English. As I grew up learning French in school, hearing it in public, learning that it was the mother tongue of many of my closest friends, and learning that Canada has two official languages, I assumed that every Canadian had a least a general comprehension of both languages. After beginning my studies of French in university with students from all over the country, I was shocked to learn that French-language classes are seen as jokes in their part of the country. Despite coming from a 100% Anglo family, this angered me. Funnily enough, I also hated the French immersion classes growing up, but decided to major in it in university, where my love for the language blossomed, and so did my pride as a bilingual Canadian. I guess my point is that, in a time where the question of what i means to be Canadian is once again thrust into the zeitgeist, look no further than the humble province of New Brunswick. Here, we have majority French and English communities, with Moncton bridging both communities seamlessly. The people of Acadie fought for this for well over a century, and deserve to have their voices heard.
January 14, 2026
I was at a Canadian Studies conference in Seattle in November, and everyone spent the whole conference obsessing over the US/Canada relationship and whether it would ever be the same (answer - maybe not?). So I wandered up to the Elliot Bay Book Company and this kind of jumped out to me. Seemed very apropos.
Some of the essays are more interesting than others, but the whole thing is pretty good. One thing that came off as kind of odd, though, was that the book is explicitly presented as inspired by a different, but similar collection, called "The New Romans", which was published in the late 60s, during Vietnam. Some of the essays from that one are reprinted here, and there's a Margaret Atwood essay where they reprint her poem from the "New Romans" and she reflects on it. So part of the point is to say, hey, we've kind of been here before. But then some of the essays in "Elbows Up" seem very much focused on this being unprecedented and we actually haven't been here before. It was just kind of whiplashy. Some people writing that things can never be the same, and some people writing that things were actually bad before and then they got better and now they are bad again. And then they would throw in a reprint from the New Romans book and I would get confused because I would think I was still reading a new essay and it was really from 60 years ago.
But anyway. Most of these essays are good. I'm sorry the US is behaving this way, Canadians. It is not very neighborly.
Some of the essays are more interesting than others, but the whole thing is pretty good. One thing that came off as kind of odd, though, was that the book is explicitly presented as inspired by a different, but similar collection, called "The New Romans", which was published in the late 60s, during Vietnam. Some of the essays from that one are reprinted here, and there's a Margaret Atwood essay where they reprint her poem from the "New Romans" and she reflects on it. So part of the point is to say, hey, we've kind of been here before. But then some of the essays in "Elbows Up" seem very much focused on this being unprecedented and we actually haven't been here before. It was just kind of whiplashy. Some people writing that things can never be the same, and some people writing that things were actually bad before and then they got better and now they are bad again. And then they would throw in a reprint from the New Romans book and I would get confused because I would think I was still reading a new essay and it was really from 60 years ago.
But anyway. Most of these essays are good. I'm sorry the US is behaving this way, Canadians. It is not very neighborly.
November 21, 2025
I approached this read with caution and perhaps a dash of cynicism at first, having never been particularly patriotic my entire life. A collection of essays about Canadian Resistance and Resilience? We’ll see. A direct response to the US/Canada strife as of late, I expected a lot of « rah rahs » honeyed platitudes and not much else. But then almost immediately I was surprised at how touched I was reading these essays. Prominent Canadian voices - writers, directors, journalists, personalities that all share the same nationality but have uniquely different interpretations on what it means to be Canadian. This seems obvious of course, we are not a monolith and the reference to « melting pot » was not uttered once! But what these essays gave me was a surging sense of pride, some crucial history, and more more more questions. How we as Canadians could be very aware of our past - both the good and the ugly - and also be empowered by our future. Some of my favorite essays were by Dave Bidini, Jen Sookfong Lee and Farley Mowat (Farleys being completely scathing - and I was completely obsessed). Every Canadian should read this!!
January 1, 2026
This is a cool collection of voices, written in the immediate shadow of Trump's annexation threat. I think it's a valuable capture of a particular moment for the country, regardless of what happens in the next few years or decades. Three essays were also included from the 1968 The New Romans collection, which was a fascinating contrast in how thinkers were discussing Canadian culture fifty years ago.
Overall, I think the editor (Elamin Abdelmahmoud, a great writer and the reason I picked this up) did a good job of balancing different perspectives and approaches, while avoiding both the self-pitying/self-hating cynicism so popular in Canadian analysis AND avoiding uncritical nationalism. In one essay, Tom Power talked about travelling the country as a folk musician and having conversations with a wide variety of Canadians, hearing perspectives and stories from different corners of the country. In a small way I think this book reflects that. And it inspires me to pay more attention to Canadian films and music, in addition to literature!
Overall, I think the editor (Elamin Abdelmahmoud, a great writer and the reason I picked this up) did a good job of balancing different perspectives and approaches, while avoiding both the self-pitying/self-hating cynicism so popular in Canadian analysis AND avoiding uncritical nationalism. In one essay, Tom Power talked about travelling the country as a folk musician and having conversations with a wide variety of Canadians, hearing perspectives and stories from different corners of the country. In a small way I think this book reflects that. And it inspires me to pay more attention to Canadian films and music, in addition to literature!
May 30, 2026
When I saw the opportunity to hear what Canadians think of the US, our President and our system, I jumped at the chance. I was NOT disappointed. There are about 30 essays from different Canadians with important messages for us Americans. In general, they want to be friends but they have no desire to be anything other than Canadian. I listened to the essays (shoutout to Libro.fm for a free audiobook) and would like to have a print copy to be able to read and study the essays in more depth.
I’m giving this book 5 stars because the book is great and I want you to notice this review. Most of the essays are between really good and great. Some are pretty good, and a few do kind of wander, have agendas or have a different point altogether.
My fellow Americans—get a copy of this book, read or listen to it, and let me know what you think!
PS I labeled this multicultural because it compares and contrasts two seemingly similar yet very different culturs--that of Canadians and of US citizens.
I’m giving this book 5 stars because the book is great and I want you to notice this review. Most of the essays are between really good and great. Some are pretty good, and a few do kind of wander, have agendas or have a different point altogether.
My fellow Americans—get a copy of this book, read or listen to it, and let me know what you think!
PS I labeled this multicultural because it compares and contrasts two seemingly similar yet very different culturs--that of Canadians and of US citizens.
July 5, 2026
This was such an interesting read a year after it was published. A lot of the 51st state rhetoric has died down. A lot of the overt anger has simmered into quiet frustration. Trump got stupider, and his threats no longer sound legitimate.
But it all happened. And this book is a reminder of the visceral anger Canadians felt in 2025.
Most of the essays were really good. A few were eye rolling doom and gloom (looking at you Margaret the-sky-is-falling Atwood). One was just unreadable (no offense Canisia Lubrin, but I just couldn't get through it). Some were hopeful, some were angry, most were thought provoking. The indigenous perspective was very welcome, and I appreciated that it came from multiple voices.
One thing Canadians CANNOT agree on is what constitutes Canadian culture, or if we even have one, which was probably the most common theme.
Overall, I recommend it, but it's not worth a reread, so borrow this one from the library.
But it all happened. And this book is a reminder of the visceral anger Canadians felt in 2025.
Most of the essays were really good. A few were eye rolling doom and gloom (looking at you Margaret the-sky-is-falling Atwood). One was just unreadable (no offense Canisia Lubrin, but I just couldn't get through it). Some were hopeful, some were angry, most were thought provoking. The indigenous perspective was very welcome, and I appreciated that it came from multiple voices.
One thing Canadians CANNOT agree on is what constitutes Canadian culture, or if we even have one, which was probably the most common theme.
Overall, I recommend it, but it's not worth a reread, so borrow this one from the library.
October 23, 2025
I listened to this as an audiobook, appreciating the use of multiple readers given the range of voices and opinions expressed in the book. I'm not from Canada and do not like what the turn in U.S. policy has done to Canada's economy and our two nation's relationship. Elbow's Up! was my introduction to Farley Mowat's classic and horribly prescient "Letter to my son."
I'll likely revisit this page to see if more reviews show up from Canadians. The intent, I believe, of the authors is to start a conversation across the country now that there has been such an existential threat made to its nationhood. I'll be curious to learn more about how Canadian readers on goodreads respond at least.
I'm very glad I purchased it and plan to relisten to it again. There's a lot packed in here.
I'll likely revisit this page to see if more reviews show up from Canadians. The intent, I believe, of the authors is to start a conversation across the country now that there has been such an existential threat made to its nationhood. I'll be curious to learn more about how Canadian readers on goodreads respond at least.
I'm very glad I purchased it and plan to relisten to it again. There's a lot packed in here.
January 22, 2026
Meh... the essays by Peter Mansbridge, Jay Baruchel and Jeanne Beker were the standouts, and maybe that's due in part to their immediate name recognition. The choice not to include a little introductory blurb for each author was an odd one, because unless you're firmly embedded in the twitterverse, I don't think half of the names featured in this collection will mean anything to you.
For the writing itself — the whole collection could have used more variety. History, music, institutions, key people ... instead there was a big focus on Canada's identity crisis ("we're not America, we're not the UK, but a different third thing", etc.) and the importance of the arts.
Mike Myers' "Canada" was better at stirring the loins of national pride. (Plus a lot less dour.)
For the writing itself — the whole collection could have used more variety. History, music, institutions, key people ... instead there was a big focus on Canada's identity crisis ("we're not America, we're not the UK, but a different third thing", etc.) and the importance of the arts.
Mike Myers' "Canada" was better at stirring the loins of national pride. (Plus a lot less dour.)
February 26, 2026
As excited as I was going into this collection, I was a bit let down.
The best essays ("Like Moths to a Flame" by Carol Off and "And Its's Ours" by Tom Power) distil a very Canadian dynamic, either through film distribution or musicality across different groups in the country, which arrive at a coherent attempt to answer "Why/what is Canada?"
Unfortunately, there are far too few of these essays in this collection. Many of the essays are redundant or perhaps are already pretty well-known to most folks who pay attention to the news, namely, Trump's unconscionable attempts to bully Canada. At their worst, they read like enraged letters to an editor.
That being said, the two essays from Off and Power are remarkable.
The best essays ("Like Moths to a Flame" by Carol Off and "And Its's Ours" by Tom Power) distil a very Canadian dynamic, either through film distribution or musicality across different groups in the country, which arrive at a coherent attempt to answer "Why/what is Canada?"
Unfortunately, there are far too few of these essays in this collection. Many of the essays are redundant or perhaps are already pretty well-known to most folks who pay attention to the news, namely, Trump's unconscionable attempts to bully Canada. At their worst, they read like enraged letters to an editor.
That being said, the two essays from Off and Power are remarkable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2026
I would give this book 3 1/2 stars.
I learned about a book called The New Romans a call out to writers in 1967.
Some of the essays were included in this book.
The current essay I loved the most was written by Ann-Marie MacDonald. It should have been the last, but instead it was Ken Dryden.
Her essay would be a wonderful learning and talking point for the young folks going to school in Canada today. Perhaps they will be our saviours?
I was looking for hope, and I have more questions than answers. I need to ask myself: what does being Canadian mean?
I was sad to read the authors from 1967 seem to say it’s inevitable our country will be taken over by the U.S.
I learned about a book called The New Romans a call out to writers in 1967.
Some of the essays were included in this book.
The current essay I loved the most was written by Ann-Marie MacDonald. It should have been the last, but instead it was Ken Dryden.
Her essay would be a wonderful learning and talking point for the young folks going to school in Canada today. Perhaps they will be our saviours?
I was looking for hope, and I have more questions than answers. I need to ask myself: what does being Canadian mean?
I was sad to read the authors from 1967 seem to say it’s inevitable our country will be taken over by the U.S.
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