As the year wraps up, the weather gets colder, and the days get shorter, why not light your fireplace and curl up with a good book? Here are Ottawa Life Magazine’s top ten reading picks for this season in no particular order. From thought-provoking political memoirs to enchanting and heartfelt Canadian fiction novels, this list has something sure to delight readers of every taste.
Author: Lloyd Axworthy
Published by: Sutherland House
ISBN: 9781998365074
250 pages
Lloyd Axworthy’s memoir details his extraordinary twenty-one years in the House of Commons, where he was a Minister in the cabinets of Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, and Jean Chretien. He describes himself as a Canadian prairie boy who forged a path to become a national and even international leader.
From a first-person perspective, Axworthy gives the inside scoop on several of the most consequential Canadian political moments from his years as an MP and onwards. These moments include the formation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the establishment of the International Criminal Court, and initiation of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, for which his involvement earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
My Life in Politics also pulls back the curtain on some of Axworthy’s most memorable personal moments from his career, such as attending Princess Diana’s funeral as Canada’s official representative and meeting Fidel Castro. Axworthy’s memoir is honest; it describes with frankness the disappointments of a career in politics and the harsh power that is at play within the foreign affairs field. With a career as remarkable as Lloyd Axworthy’s, his memoir is bound to intrigue and inspire.
Available from Sutherland House Publishing and select local retailers.
Author: John Scott Cowan
Published by: Sutherland House Books
ISBN: 978-1-990823-53-4
334 pages
It is no secret that political polarization is at an all-time high. Ideas that used to be considered extreme are now commonly held, and elected officials lack respect for one another, which is characteristic of free democracies. In The Opinionated Middle Ground, John Scott Cowan puts forth an antidote to the poisonous polarization that stalls collaborative problem-solving in our political institutions today: the middle ground.
Cowan’s book suggests that the current polarized political climate will never be successful in solving Canada’s biggest problems. The true solution to these problems, argues Cowan, will be found in the middle ground, where plain facts and findings can contribute to productive discourse and people are open to having their minds changed. In an era that encourages hostility towards people on the ‘other side,’ Cowan’s words ring with wisdom, practicality, and compassion that readers are sure to find refreshing.
The Opinionated Middle Ground is available online from Sutherland House Books and amazon.ca.
Author: Charlotte Gray
Published by: Simon & Schuster
ISBN:9781668031971
432 pages
Charlotte Gray’s biography Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons shines light on the lives of two influential yet overlooked women from the twentieth century: Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt, the mothers who raised the leaders who led the UK and US through World War II. Gray’s book makes a case for Jennie Jerome and Sara Delano as being the driving forces that equipped their sons—Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill—to navigate the world’s most high-stakes conflict.
These inspirational mothers, separated by an ocean yet united by similar life paths, were both American-born in 1854 to wealthy parents. Each married into prominent political families, but both of their husbands fell ill and died, rendering them widows in their forties with the financial means to live independently yet stifled by the gender norms of the time.
The two mothers shaped their sons, connecting, funding, and pushing them to attain the highest seat of political power in their respective nations. Gray’s portrayal of Jennie and Sara shows that they deserve to be more than footnotes in the stories of their ultra-famous sons—instead, they should be regarded as key figures who influenced the course of history.
Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons is available online from Simon & Schuster and select local retailers.
Author: Dennis Mills
Published by: Big Sky Publishing
Former MP Dennis Mills (Toronto-Danforth)’s memoir tells the story of a man’s journey from delivering wooden chairs and tables for his family-run rental business to sitting in the green chair of the House of Commons. With a lengthy resume of service unto Canada—including organizing 2002’s World Youth Day that brought Pope John Paul II to Toronto—Mills details his lifelong service to Canada through a number of insightful life lessons.
Mills’ memoir puts a strong emphasis on the importance of servant-oriented leadership, pointing out that there is an unwarranted negative connotation associated with the term “servant.” Through his story, Mills encourages readers to aim high, but for the sake of others, not for their own glory. Mills wants readers to find a passion for serving others—it is this passion that led him to accomplish so much in his lifetime, both as an MP and in the years after.
“This memoir can inspire you to think of service in a larger sense,” says Jean Chrétien in the book’s foreword.
From the Wood Chair to the Green Chair: A Memoir is available from Ben McNally Books.
Author: Eden Robinson
Published by: Vintage Canada
ISBN: 9780676973228
384 pages
Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach is a work of fiction that transports readers to the coastal city of Kitamaat, British Columbia. Robinson draws on her Haisla heritage and employs a captivating narrative voice to give Monkey Beach its own unique genre: Indigenous magical realism.
The narrator, fiery tomboy Lisamarie Hill, has a special gift that allows her to witness supernatural sightings. She frequently sees figures from the Haisla stories that her grandmother passed down to her and is often visited by shapeshifters, sasquatches, and ghosts. Haunted by these magical visitors and torn between the physical and spiritual world, Lisamarie reckons with her understanding of her supernatural powers and Western views of psychotherapy and mental illness.
This inner conflict between the magical and the material is set against the backdrop of a larger problem: Lisamarie’s brother is missing and presumed dead, and she is determined to find him. She ventures towards Monkey Beach—home of the sasquatch—to look for him while recounting the events of her life. Darkly funny, heartfelt, and enchanting, Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award.
Monkey Beach is available online from Chapters-Indigo and Amazon and select local retailers.
Author: Tim Cook
Published by: Allen Lane
ISBN: 9780735248205
576 pages
Tim Cook, Chief Historian at the Canadian War Museum, tells the riveting tale of the Canadian-American alliance that took root during the Second World War. The Good Allies is the true story of the fraught negotiations that forced Canada and the U.S. to work together in the shadow of a rapidly expanding fascist regime just across the Atlantic.
Cook shines a light on King and Roosevelt’s disagreements over economic policy, industrial might, national sovereignty, and military power. In his signature style, which made him Canada’s most prominent war historian, Cook details the desperate back-room deals that Canadians and Americans made to defend the common good while the free world’s fate was at risk. The story’s tension is so palpable and the stakes so high that readers will be shocked when they realize that they are reading non-fiction—a true story.
The Good Allies brims with fascinating eyewitness accounts of the Canadian-American deliberations that brought the two countries from distrustful neighbours to dependable allies.
The Good Allies is available online from Chapters-Indigo, Amazon and select local retailers.
Author:Michel Maisonneuve
Published by: Sutherland House Publishing
ISBN: 9781990823954
174 pages
In November 2022, Michel Maisonneuve, retired Lieutenant-General of the Canadian Armed Forces, accepted the Vimy Award for his lifelong contributions to Canada’s defence. In his acceptance remarks, Maisonneuve delivered a pointed and candid speech criticizing the state of Canada’s military and the Liberal government’s defence policies. He warned about the broader cultural shifts under the Trudeau government’s “progressive agenda,” including the erosion of Canadian history, the rise of entitlement culture, and the weakening of military readiness. Maisonneuve called for an honest national conversation on the importance of supporting the military, urging Canadians to reflect on the dangers posed by the government’s direction.
After the event, CDAI Executive Director Youri Cormier dismissed the substance of Lt.-Gen (ret’d) Maisonneuve’s concerns, stating to reporters that “many attendees were offended by Lt.-Gen (ret’d) Maisonneuve’s speech” and adding, “His remarks do not reflect those of the CDA Institute.” Instead of addressing the issues raised in Maisonneuve’s critique, Cormier’s response gave the impression that CDAI, under his leadership, prioritized its relationship with the Trudeau government over its mission to advocate for military issues.
The CDAI’s stated mission is to encourage rational, fact-based discussions on defense and national security. Yet Cormier’s comments suggested a reluctance to confront difficult truths about Canada’s military, which appeared to validate Maisonneuve’s concern that Canada’s defense and security institutions were hesitant to challenge or hold the government accountable on military matters.
Ultimately, Maisonneuve’s remarks highlighted the complacency surrounding Canada’s defense policy. By failing to support his call for a serious dialogue on military readiness, CDAI missed an opportunity to advocate meaningfully for Canada’s military. This reluctance to confront significant issues has, in turn, cast doubt on CDAI’s credibility as a voice for national security.
From his highly-publicized ‘cancellation,’ Maisonneuve was catapulted into the spotlight, writing several opinion pieces for the National Post and now, this book. In Defence of Canada speaks about Canada’s decline on the world stage and the state of traditional Canadian values such as freedom, free speech, and tolerance. Maisonneuve is unapologetically patriotic, ultimately refusing to end his book on a note of hopelessness. Instead, Maisonneuve challenges Canadians of all political affiliations to speak up about their opinions, to get involved in democracy, and to embrace the Canadian values that once made Canada revered on the world stage.
In Defence of Canada is available from Sutherland House Publishing and select local retailers.
Author: Jody Wilson-Raybould & Roshan Danesh
Published by: McClelland & Stewart
ISBN:9780771017230
368 pages
Jody Wilson-Raybould, also known by her Kwak’wala name Puglaas, is a former Liberal MP (Vancouver Granville). She served as Trudeau’s justice minister and attorney general from 2015 until 2019, when she resigned from Cabinet, alleging to have been improperly pressured by the PMO to intercede in the SNC-Lavalin case. Wilson-Raybould’s secretly recorded phone call with the PMO proved these allegations true. Following this, Trudeau expelled Wilson-Raybould from the Liberal caucus and stripped her Liberal Party nomination. At the time, this scandal was the biggest political crisis of Trudea’s career.
Upon the foundation of this scandal, Jody Wilson-Raybould became an outspoken champion of standing your ground to do the right thing, even at a great personal cost.
Her most recent book, Reconciling History, tells the story of Canada from the perspective of voices that have been historically overlooked: Indigenous Canadians. Reconciling History: A Story of Canada consolidates Wilson-Raybould’s reputation as a bridge-builder, seeking to reconcile Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through truthful knowledge of Canada’s story.
Reconciling History: A Story of Canada is available from Chapter-Indigo, Amazon, and select local retailers.
Author: Miriam Toews
Published by: Vintage Canada
ISBN: 9780735273979
240 pages
Acclaimed Canadian fiction author Miriam Toews’s seventh novel, Women Talking, reads as a transcript of sorts, delving into the fierce arguments of a group of women who are victims of violent tragedy.
Based on a true story, Toews imagines the harrowing discussions of the women of the Manitoba Colony, a remote and isolated Mennonite colony in Bolivia. Over a five-year span, the women continually wake up to discover that they were sexually assaulted overnight—yet the leadership of their religious community attribute the attacks to demons and insists that the assaults are God’s punishment for sin. It then comes to light that some men in the colony have been drugging the women with horse tranquillizers to rape them.
Toews’ story takes place primarily in a hayloft, where the women have gathered in a secret council after the horrific details of their assaults have been revealed. The women agree that they have three options: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. Their arguments centre around the question of forgiveness, which their Christian faith obliges them to do, and whether they can forgive while also walking away—a worthwhile question for anyone to ponder.
Women Talking is available from Chapter-Indigo, Amazon, and select local retailers.
Author: Marc Garneau
Published by: Signal
ISBN:9780771016219
328 pages
A Most Extraordinary Ride is a fantastic memoir by a very remarkable Canadian: not only is Marc Garneau a former MP and a former Cabinet minister, but he is also the first Canadian person to go to space. Garneau blasted off on October 5, 1984, boarding the American space shuttle Challenger for an eight-day flight that made the Canadian history books. Twenty-four years later, in 2008, Garneau was elected to the House of Commons as an MP for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount. He has also been appointed as Minister of Transport and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A Most Extraordinary Ride details the highs and lows of Garneau’s life, laying out his journey from mischievous teenager to decorated astronaut to member of parliament. The story of such a remarkable career path is captivating in itself, yet the book also benefits from Garneau’s humour and transparency. His autobiography chronicles astronomical career highs and devastating personal lows, including his becoming the first Canadian in a NASA shuttle and losing his wife and brother to suicide.
If you are looking for a heartfelt autobiography from Canada’s most well-travelled MP, look no further.
A Most Extraordinary Ride: Space, Politics, and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream is available from Chapter-Indigo, Amazon, and select local retailers.
Header image: iStock