Canadian Literature

The Canadian Literature Collection highlights the diversity and talent of Canadian authors. Representing the broad range of genres and traditions reflected in Candian Literature, this Collection includes fiction by Margaret Atwood, John Irving, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and other Canadian writers who have shaped the nation's literary canon.

Publication year 1995

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Fathers

Tags Realistic Fiction, Canadian Literature

“The Roaring Girl” is a short story published in 1995 by the Canadian author Greg Hollingshead. It is included in a short story collection of the same name which won Canada’s Governor-General Literary Award. Set in 1954, the story concerns a homeless girl who “roars” into the life of an eight-year-old boy, transforming him and his family.This study guide refers to the 1997 G. P. Putnam’s Sons hardback edition.At the start of the story, the... Read The Roaring Girl Summary


Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Robber Bride by Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood was originally published in the United States in 1993. It tells the story of three women who suffer betrayal at the hands of a fourth woman, Zenia. The novel was inspired by The Robber Bridegroom, a 19th century German fairy tale which Atwood updates to 1990s Toronto. It combines Atwood’s notable sense of humor with her attention to contemporary political issues such as feminism and environmentalism. The... Read The Robber Bride Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community

Tags Philosophy, Self Help, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 2014

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Christian literature, Inspirational, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

The Shack is a novel by Canadian author William P. Young and his first published work. Young is the son of Christian missionaries who worked in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, and he grew up alternately amid the Dani ethnic group and in missionary boarding schools before the family moved back to Canada. Having settled in the United States as an adult, Young began writing stories for his children and friends. The earliest version... Read The Shack Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Social Justice, Political Science, Philosophy

The Shock Doctrine (2007) is a critique of neoliberalism by Canadian writer and activist Naomi Klein. Klein analyzes the history of neoliberalism and its relationship with crises to argue that neoliberal economics—as promoted by Milton Friedman and his acolytes—exploit and create crises to impose neoliberal policies on unwilling populations through undemocratic means. In Klein’s view, this happens through the mechanism of “shock therapy,” through which nations take advantage of crisis moments to strategically introduce new... Read The Shock Doctrine Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison is a psychological thriller about a failing marriage. Published in 2013, the novel is Harrison’s first entry into the genre, though she had previously published an erotic novel and a non-fiction book on the female orgasm in the 1970s. Harrison passed away from cancer weeks before the novel’s publication. The novel has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl in terms of both its content—the depiction of... Read The Silent Wife Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Satire, Western, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: U.S., Addiction / Substance Abuse, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, American Civil War, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure, Humor

The Sisters Brothers is a 2011 novel by Canadian writer Patrick DeWitt. Set in 1851, it traces the journey of Charlie and Eli Sisters, two hired killers traveling from Oregon to San Francisco to find a man called Warm, who allegedly stole something from their boss, the Commodore. The darkly comic Western is in the picaresque genre, as the brothers’ episodic misadventures explore different communities populating the American West.The Sisters Brothers is divided into 64... Read The Sisters Brothers Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art


Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

Written in 1993, The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields is the fictional autobiography of Daisy Goodwill Flett, whose life story plays out in North America and spans much of the 20th century. The novel claims to be Daisy’s retelling of her life story, but it includes other characters’ voices and points of view, thus satirizing fiction and storytelling itself. By including a family tree and “real” family photographs, the novel explores the difference between reality... Read The Stone Diaries Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration

Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (2009) by Alan Bradley is a murder mystery novel. It is the author’s first book, published when he was 70 years old. The novel won the Dagger, Agatha, Barry, Dilys, Arthur Ellis, Macavity, and Spotted Owl Awards for Best First or Best Debut Novel. It is the first book of The Flavia de Luce Novels.Plot SummaryThe protagonist and narrator of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the... Read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Classic Fiction

The Testaments is Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel to her dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. The Testaments chronicles resistance efforts against the ultra-religious authoritarian nation, Gilead, through the perspectives of two teenage half-sisters and the leader of Gilead’s women’s sphere.The Testaments begins 15 years after the conclusion of The Handmaid’s Tale, in which the Handmaid Offred escaped Gilead with her baby, Nicole. Gileadean society continues under the oppressive thumb of the ultra-religious Commanders and Aunts. In... Read The Testaments Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Chinese Literature, Fantasy

The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai is a work of dystopian speculative fiction first published in 2018 by Arsenal Pulp Press, an independent publisher based in Vancouver, Canada. With its focus on futuristic technologies that merge and manipulate human biology, The Tiger Flu can be subclassified as a cyber/biopunk thriller. The book won the 2019 Lambda Literary Award, which recognizes and celebrates the best LGBTQ books of the year. A Chinese Canadian, lesbian writer, Larissa... Read The Tiger Flu Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction

The Troop (2014) is a horror novel by Nick Cutter. Troop 52, consisting of five teenage boy scouts and their Scoutmaster, Dr. Tim Riggs, goes on an annual camping trip to a remote, uninhabited island in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. There, a strange, sick man approaches their cabin and introduces them to a deadly, bioengineered virus. Just as dangerous as the virus itself are the crumbling group dynamics and morality once the... Read The Troop Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Published in 2013, The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten is a young adult fiction novel that closely examines obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and mental health issues in teens and high schoolers. Filled with moments of deep emotion, harsh realities, and unexpected humor, The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B is about how we all navigate the chaos and stress of our world. Toten won the Governor General Literary Award in Canada for this novel... Read The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B Summary