Best of
Canada

1973

Half-Breed


Maria Campbell - 1973
    At 15 she tried in vain to escape by marrying a white man, only to find herself trapped in the slums of Vancouver—addicted to drugs, tempted by suicide, close to death. But the inspiration of her Cree great-grandmother, Cheechum, gives her confidence in herself and in her people, confidence she needs to survive and to thrive.Half-Breed offers an unparalleled understanding of the Métis people and of the racism and hatred they face. Maria Campbell's story cannot be denied and it cannot be forgotten: it stands as a challenge to all Canadians who believe in human rights and human dignity.

Ten Lost Years, 1929-1939: Memories of the Canadians Who Survived the Depression


Barry Broadfoot - 1973
    They tell them in their own words, and the impact is astonishing. As page after page of unforgettable stories rolls by, it is easy to see why this book sold 300,000 copies and why a successful stage play that ran for years was based on them.The stories, and the 52 accompanying photographs, tell of an extraordinary time. One tells how a greedy Maritime landlord ho tried to raise a widow's rent was tarred and gravelled; another how rape by the boss was part of a waitress's job. Other stories show Saskatchewan families watching their farms turn into deserts and walking away from them; or freight-trains black with hoboes clinging to them, criss-crossing the country in search of work; or a man stealing a wreath for his own wife's funeral.Throughout this portrait of the era before Canada had a social safety net, there are amazing stories of what Time magazine called "human tragedy and moral triumph during the hardest of times." In the end, this is an inspiring, uplifting book about bravery, one you will not forget.

A Northern Nativity: Christmas Dreams of a Prairie Boy


William Kurelek - 1973
    What would happen if He came now? A boy imagines that the nativity takes place in northern snows. He dreams that the Christ child is born to Eskimos, to Indians, to Blacks, that the Nativity takes place in a fisherman’s hut, a garage, a cowboy’s barn, that the holy family is given refuge in a city mission, a grain barn, and a country school. A beautiful holiday story for all generations.

Snow People


Marie Herbert - 1973
    Within two years she was living with her husband in a remote settlement of Polar Inuit. Wally Herbert had developed a profound respect for these independent hunters, who call themselves the Inughuit – the real people – during his many polar expeditions, and he wanted to help them make a record of their dying culture. Marie and Wally – along with their 10-month-old baby, Kari – decided to make this record from within: to go alone, and learn from the Inuit how to survive in this harsh, yet beautiful environment. Spirited, enthusiastic and sympathetic, Marie Herbert tells the fascinating story of two years of Arctic adventure: in doing so she has written an important anthropological account of a vanishing way of life.

Ordeal by Ice: The Search for the Northwest Passage


Farley Mowat - 1973
    The stories, compiled by award-winning author Farley Mowat and presented in gripping, firsthand narratives, capture both the stark drama of the struggle for survival and the breathtaking panorama of virgin Arctic lands.

Least of All Saints


Grace Irwin - 1973
    

Raven's Cry


Christie Harris - 1973
    Until the first Europeans arrived in 1775, the Haida were the lords of the coast. The meeting of cultures was a fateful one: the Europeans had the advantages of firearms and immunity to their own deadly diseases. In just 150 years, the Haida and their culture were pushed to the edge of extinction.Christie Harris recreates this tale of tragedy and the ultimate survival of native spirit with dignity, beauty and ethnographic accuracy.

Woman of Labrador


Elizabeth Goudie - 1973
    The life story of a pioneer woman of Labrador.

Not in Vain


Ken Bell - 1973
    Right through to the German surrender, he captured with his cameras telling scenes of the European battlefields.