CanadianContent discussion

For discussion of authors or books from/about Manitoba

Hands down, Margaret Laurence! But also Gabrielle Roy and Miriam Toews

I have The Stone Angel on my list of rereads! I read it in high school, about 10 years ago and think it is time to revisit. I read it with a different perspective each time!

I have to admit that even thought Toews has won many awards, I struggled with melancholy and sadness of the two books that I read.

I read The Stone Angel in high school and hated it. What an awful book to give to teenagers! Then I read The Diviners a couple years later and LOVED it. That is what should be given to teenagers.

Then I re-read Stone Angel for a book club a year ago or so and fell in love with it as well. Now that I'm 50 I could actually relate, hahaha. So I went on a Margaret Laurence binge last summer and read all 5 books from the Manawaka series and loved them all.

I have never read the Diviners but will add this one to my list as well! it is amazing how perspectives change as we read and reread novels. Not a Cdn novel but I have to admit that I did not enjoy Too Kill a Mockingbird in high school but loved it as an adult.

It is great to reread some of these high school books with more experience and a few years under our belts. Our book club theme for September has been books assigned in high school so we read Jane Eyre last year and A Tree Grown in Brooklyn the year before. I may just suggest a Margaret Laurence book for this September.

OMG The Diviners is soooooo good!!! Many of these great books are wasted on the young, hahaha. What a cool idea for a book club theme! I try to read a few classics a year, some that I've read before and some that I have never read. So many books....so little time.

I agree I loved The Diviners much more than Stone Angel.

A list of Manitoba authors has to include Carol Shields! In particular, I have loved Unless and The Stone Diaries. Both so intelligent and beautiful. Although born in the USA, she married a Canadian and they settled in Winnipeg.

With all the ladies in this group, I'm surprised Nellie McClung wasn't mentioned. I would also like to add Ernest Thompson Seton to the list of Manitoba writers.

I've only read a couple of Margaret Laurence's books but I think A Jest of God was my favourite.

@Louise - I had the same experience with The Stone Angel in high school! Will have to re-visit it...

The Tricking of Freya: A Novel is set half in Gimli, Manitoba and half in Iceland. I recommend it a lot.

Emmkay wrote: "@Louise - I had the same experience with The Stone Angel in high school! Will have to re-visit it...."

It's a far better book for mature readers :-)

some great books to add to our TBR piles from Friendly Manitoba: http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/the-bo...

I have just read Santiago by Simone Chaput, a Franco-Manitoban writer. The novel weaves a story of five people, all wanting to escape their troubles, walking the Camino de Santiago together. What a wonderful writer!

Sandra Birdsell is a great Manitoba author, especially her book The Russländer.

Heather(Gibby) wrote: "Sandra Birdsell is a great Manitoba author, especially her book The Russländer."

I have not read The Russländer but I thoroughly enjoyed Waiting for Joe

Do I count among Manitoba writers? All my books are set in Manitoba or the Canadian North.

Hi Genevieve - there is a specific link for active participants of our group to share their own books: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... Please feel free to add your details there. :)