My Life as a Dame: The Personal and Political Writings of Christina McCall

by Christina McCall, Stephen Clarkson (Editor), Eleanor Wachtel (Foreword by)

Considered by many to be the best political writer of her generation, Governor General’s Award-winning author and journalist Christina McCall was a pioneer for women in journalism and one of the most brilliant minds of her time. For the first time ever, McCall’s finest articles and essays have been collected in one definitive volume, alongside never-before-published excerpts from her unfinished memoirs. Covering topics from the Alberta oil boom to the rise of divorce rates to in-depth profiles of Canada’s political establishment, the collection showcases the best of McCall’s analyses of Canadian society, politics, the media, and women’s rights. Whether skewering the male-dominated world of media culture or analyzing the machinations of Canadian politicians, McCall’s clear-eyed observations are always laced with insight, compassion, and razor-sharp wit. My Life as a Dame is the perfect introduction to one of Canada’s most gifted and masterly writers.

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight up, I wanted to hate the narrator of My Life as a Dame: The Personal and Political Writings of Christina McCall and kept finding myself on her side. McCall, Christina gives her a sharp tongue and a bad habit of burning bridges, and the scene where she walks out of her own surprise party because she can't stand the attention is painfully relatable. By the last chapter I was invested in her mess anyway. What bugged me was how neatly the family drama gets resolved. Who this is for: readers who love prickly characters. Who should pass: anyone who wants a cozy, cheerful lead.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight up, I wanted more from the ending of My Life as a Dame, because everything leading up to it was so good. Christina McCall builds this sharp, funny, slightly unhinged road trip story, and the scene where the group gets stuck in a tiny town during an annual pie festival is hilarious. Then the last chapter turns oddly serious and kind of wanders off. Still worth it for the ride. For readers who like their road trips messy and loud. Skip it if a shaky ending is a deal breaker.

[Hella Comat]

Anyone younger than 40 probably wouldn't enjoy this - McCall was a political journalist, mainly in the 1970s. Great insight into the Trudeau era!

[Lori]

Yes, I am still reading this. It's not something that you can gulp down in one sitting. I am loving it though. She's a real trailblazer and was not going to take no for an answer.