Really enjoyed this look in Canada's early settlers. ( )

The story of the authors is interesting; I had never heard of these women. Just another example of how little Americans know about Canadians! In addition to the lives of the women, the book also covers the backstory of the development of Canadian publishing and literature. ( )

got the sisters very mixed up! this machine says I read this book before but I have no memory of it. ( )

Charlotte Gray is one of my favourite authors, and this book did not disappoint me. This is the story of sisters Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill who emigrated from England to Canada in the 1830s. They were not prepared, emotionally or physically, for life in the Canadian bush (neither were their husbands) but nonetheless rose to the occasion, farming, bearing and raising children, running households and still finding time to write about their experiences. This is a wonderful look at Canadian history through the experiences of two pioneers. So well written and engaging. ( )

A fascinating account of two sisters who married and migrated to Canada out of necessity in the early 1830s. Even though these two women (and the family they left behind) were authors, they were not exempt the severe hardship that pioneering Canada would entail. Ironically, when I bought the book I had not been aware that the very area they had migrated too, was infact the area where my own family would migrate to twenty years later.

The book gives not only details of the life the two women experienced in Canada, but of the life that was endured by their relatives back in England and the circumstances that lead to them migrating in the first place. This is the story of two very brave and resourceful women, who were ahead of their time.

There are some wonderfully descriptive passages showing just what pioneering this part of Canada meant. Buying land, clearing the forest areas and establishing and building a house. Meanwhile, both the sisters relied heavily on their spouses, this was a time when men made the decisions, good and bad and women endured the outcome. Nonetheless, both sisters commenced their writing career in Canada, and later, so did their brother Samuel. Their sister Agnes, who remained in England also wrote and assisted them as best she could.

A lovely descriptive and informative book, complete with photographs (not colour),maps,sources,several family trees and an index ( )