Macdonald: A Novel

by Roy MacSkimming

In the grand literary tradition of Gore Vidal's novels about American political history, Roy MacSkimming has conjured an extraordinary novelistic recreation of the last days of Canada's indomitable first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.

Narrated by his private secretary, Joseph Pope, " Macdonald " opens with stirring scenes of Sir John fighting his last great election battle on issues that uncannily echo our national concerns today. The year is 1891, and there is a very real fear of absorption by the United States.

Meanwhile, a political scandal in Quebec threatens to topple Sir John's government. Exhausted by his electoral victory, the old leader fights to keep his iron grip over his party and life itself. Joseph Pope renders his chief in intimate detail, reveling the immense charm and personal magnetism that gave Macdonald such mastery over people and events. As the novel moves majestically towards his final hours, Sir John himself addresses the reader directly, reflecting on his past and present.

The spellbinding narrative features a memorable cast of characters ranging from President Ulysses S. Grant, Louis Riel and Sir Wilfrid Laurier to Macdonald's feisty second wife, Lady Agnes Macdonald, and their disabled daughter Mary.

Convincingly grounded in the political and personal passions of the day, " Macdonald " delivers a brilliant and exciting portrait of a young emerging nation and its greatest champion. At once seductively evocative and emotionally engaging, this is historical fiction at its best.

Genres: Historical Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2007

Reviews

[Sonja Seeber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful fictional (with historical background) story of one of the founding fathers of Canada. Time frame is the last 5 months of Prime Minister John A. MacDonald in 1891. Governmental politicking in lovely readable prose.

[rabbitprincess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off somewhat odd but amply redeemed itself by the end. It chronicles the last months of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, as narrated by his personal secretary. We follow the 1891 election campaign, revelations about a scandal in Quebec, and Sir John's declining health, all with the immediacy afforded by present-tense narration. Normally this type of narration bothers me, but honestly I didn't notice until the end of the first chapter, and by the end of the second chapter I was pretty much reconciled with it. What I did have difficulty with was Chapter 2, which I didn't realize was being told from Sir John's perspective until several paragraphs in. That required a reread to help me get my bearings. But that confusion was likely my fault, because Sir John's occasional interludes *are* mentioned in the back cover blurb, which I read but apparently not attentively enough!

The story itself is packed with details to command the reader's attention, and the characters are vividly drawn, pulling you into their world. Toward the end of the book, it's very moving to see both sides of the House of Commons come together as they mark the end of an era. Laurier's eulogy (presumably taken from Hansard) nearly brought me to tears. It was wonderful to see that even though these two men disagreed so dramatically in their political views, they still respected and admired each other as opponents and people.

There are a few deviations from the historical record, and places where the author undoubtedly had to make up dialogue and draw his own conclusions based on his knowledge of the "characters", but unless you are a serious Macdonald scholar you probably won't notice, and even if you do, the book does not purport to be non-fiction, so it is nothing to worry about. Recommended for Canadian history buffs.

[Thebruce1314 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every word in this book felt perfectly placed; I could almost imagine myself a part of the conversations between Sir John and his private secretary. Where it fell a little flat - and the reason that I gave it only four stars - was in the plot. The novel follows Sir John through his last few months of life, and paints a vivid picture of what it was like for him and his political efforts as PM to be frustrated by ill health. I appreciate that the story stayed true to history, but there really was no plot to speak of. The narrative relies more on emotion than action to carry it forward, which was an interesting angle. I really enjoyed the book for the most part, but it wasn't always the most stimulating read.