Salt of the Earth is a portrait of the settlement of the prairies seen through the eyes of the settlers themselves. Based on the experiences of homesteaders themselves as recorded in letters, diaries, autobiographies and personal reminiscences, this book offers a remarkably vivid view of the hardships and joys of settling the Canadian West. Illustrated with dozens of candid and revealing photographs, Salt of the Earth evokes a sense of sympathy with the people of the country which is absent in the official history of Canada.