Nellie L. McClung

#2

1996

More than twenty years ago, a young American named Carolyn, originally from California, came to the Meredith family farm, marrying Robin Meredith and settling—never quite comfortably—into rural English life. Yet after her death, her grieving husband, who has long slept in a separate bedroom, wonders how well he really knew her. But Robin is not the only one left vulnerable; his brother, parents, and Judy, his daughter and Caro's step-daughter, are all thrown by the absence of the woman who had become a central figure in their lives. As they each struggle to cope with Caro's death, Judy's friend Zoe arrives from London and brings with her hope for a new beginning. All recognize that she is a catalyst for change. Zoe finds something compelling in the Meredith's strenuous, earthbound lifestyle—and in Robin....

#3

1996

First-wave feminist, activist and social reformer, Nellie McClung ranked as one of the most popular Canadian authors and among the liveliest critics of Canada's male-dominated society of the early 1900s. Well ahead of her time, McClung was known as a writer who dared to discuss taboo topics, and for her inimitable humour which rivals that of Stephen Leacock, Canada's best-known humourist. This selection of her best short fiction includes depictions of difficult rural living conditions in Western Canada as well as "consciousness-raising" stories reflecting the undue restrictions on women and the anti-female laws and attitudes of the day. While most were published in U.S. and Canadian magazines between 1906 and 1931, a few of these stories appear here for the first time. In addition, a detailed introduction discusses McClung's life and analyses the themes and stylistic touches of each of the stories making up this unique anthology.