The Promise of Canada: People and Ideas That Have Shaped Our Country

What does it mean to be a Canadian What great ideas have changed our country An award-winning writer casts her eye over our nation¡¯s history, highlighting some of our most important stories.From the acclaimed historian Charlotte Gray comes a richly rewarding book about what it means to be Canadian. Readers already know Gray as an award-winning biographer, a writer who has brilliantly captured significant individuals and dramatic moments in our history. Now, in The Promise of Canada, she weaves together masterful portraits of nine influential Canadians, creating a unique history of our country. What do these people¡ªfrom George-¨¦tienne Cartier and Emily Carr to Tommy Douglas, Margaret Atwood, and Elijah Harper¡ªhave in common Each, according to Charlotte Gray, has left an indelible mark on Canada. Deliberately avoiding a top-down approach to history, Gray has chosen Canadians¡ªsome well-known, others less so¡ªwhose ideas, she argues, have become part of our collective conversation about who we are as a people. She also highlights many other Canadians from all walks of life who have added to the ongoing debate, showing how our country has reinvented itself in every generation since Confederation, while at the same time holding to certain central beliefs. Beautifully illustrated with evocative black-and-white historical images and colorful artistic visions, and written in an engaging style, The Promise of Canada is a fresh, thoughtful, and inspiring view of our historical journey. Opening doors into our past, present, and future with this masterful work, Charlotte Gray makes Canada¡¯s history come alive and challenges us to envision the country we want to live in.