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Here are some books I’d recommend reading if you’re interested in learning more about Canadian history.
This is not an exhaustive list by any means. Canadian history is still something I want to learn more about myself, especially when it comes to the lives of ordinary people. I think those stories can be the most interesting ones of all in many cases because that’s how the vast majority of people actually lived back then.
How a prime minister or a queen or king lives is nothing like the experiences of millions of us who quietly go about our business every day.
I will be adding context to a few of these answers as I don’t know how much you all already know about Canadian history.
1. Canada: A People’s History (Volume 1) by Don Gillmor
2. The New Peoples: Being And Becoming Metis In North America by Jacqueline Peterson
3. Influenza 1918: Disease, Death, and Struggle in Winnipeg by Esyllt W. Jones
Here in Toronto we have a statue and drinking fountain dedicated to the memory of Dr. Young who treated many patients who had this disease, caught the 1918 flu from one of them, and sadly passed away from it. What a hero.
4. Blacks on the Border: The Black Refugees in British North America, 1815–1860 by Harvey Amani Whitfield
5. Once Upon a Tomb: Stories From Canadian Graveyards by Nancy Millar
6. Laying the Children’s Ghosts to Rest: Canada’s Home Children in the West by Sean Arthur Joyce
7. Shingwauk’s Vision: A History of Native Residential Schools by J.R. Miller
8. Terry Fox: His Story by Leslie Scrivener
Terry was a young man with bone cancer who decided to run from one side of Canada to the other in hopes of raising enough money to find a cure for his illness. There are still Terry Fox runs every summer here!
9. War of 1812 by Pierre Berton
Canadians sometimes like to joke about how we burned down the White House in the war of 1812 even though we were still part of Britain at that point in history. So, technically it was the British who did it…but we still take credit. 😉
10. The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede
All joking aside, we love our American neighbours! This is the heartwarming story of what happened when all North American planes were ordered to stop flying immediately on 9/11 and a small Canadian town stepped up to help the confused passengers from one of those flights who were suddenly stranded far from home.
This title is written more like a memoir than a history book, so it might be a good place to start if you don’t typically read a lot about the past.
My previous takes on the Valentine’s Day freebie post include: 
Those of you who have read my blog for a while might notice that I don’t post reviews for a lot of the books I put on my seasonal TBR posts, and part of that is due to how long it takes me to read them in some cases due to factors that are sometimes within and sometimes out of my control.
1. “
Go grab a cup of tea if you’d like to and let’s chat. I know I sure enjoy tea when the weather grows so cold and snowy at the end of January where I live.
Let’s see what I can come up with…
The original theme for this week was “The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection,” but I’m tweaking it a little.
To be honest with all of you, the cold, dark days of winter are something I struggle with due to the winter blues.
Here are my goals for 2025. Yes, I’m recycling some of the ones from last year. Might as well keep plugging away at them.