May 15: Non-Fiction Book Club: "Canadians: A Portrait of a Country & Its People" by Roy Macgregor

Please join us Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 to discuss "Canadians: A Portrait of a Country and Its People" by Renfrew County-born, nationally-celebrated author and Canadaphile, Roy MacGregor.

With all the bluster blowing North over the past few months, now seems like a timely moment to have a look at ourselves, at our Canadian culture, at what makes us unique--and at WHY the 49th parallel is not just an "artificially-drawn line".

While the book was published in 2007, with Quebec separatism the main point of national crisis still lingering in Canadians' minds, a very contemporary (March 2025) interview between the author Roy MacGregor and Canadian Geographic magazine can be listened to here:

HOUSE RULES: Please focus your comments on the topic of "Canada" and the book itself, not election results / party politics. Let's keep this conversation as "Canadian" as possible! :)

Some of the questions we'll be discussing, time permitting, include:

1. Did you notice any "vignettes" described in the book that you felt particularly reflected yourself and your own experiences/values as a Canadian?

2. Did you notice the "51st state" rhetoric impacting your reactions and your relationship to this book?

3. If this was a book you "flipped through," which parts made you stop and linger, and held your interest?

4. Although the book had a rather serious tone, what are some parts you had "fun" with?

5. Do you remember the 1995 referendum? What reactions do you notice yourself having when you reflect on those times?

6. Speculate about how Canadian-born book club members might react differently to this book as compared to non-Canadian born book club members?

7. How do you think this books hold up, 18 years on? If you were to write such a book today, how would you do it differently?

HOUSEKEEPING:

Mark your calendars with these Spring Session dates:

-May 15 - "Canadians: A Portrait of a Country and its People" by Roy MacGregor.

-June 12 - "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

---END OF THE SPRING SESSION. WE WILL BREAK FOR SUMMER AND RECONVENE ON OCT. 2!----

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday May at 6:30!

Elizabeth

You may also like the following events from Deep River Public Library:

• Next Tuesday, 20th May, 06:30 pm, Mending by Hand in Deep River

Also check out other Arts events in Deep River, Literary Art events in Deep River, Parties in Deep River.