I did a genre-jump into Canada last year and the first few books were so dull I discontinued the jump – not that Canada is dull, just these books. (They were probably “good” books, and I know they were chosen by librarians because that’s who I asked to recommend them.) That made me kinda sad.
My image of Canadians is that they are a lot like us on our good days – steadfastedly democratic, friendly, live-and-let-live, let’s-all-get-along, yeah-I-can-help-you-with-that folks. Neighborly. Lefty radical cool people except that everyone is relaxed and polite about being radical which takes most of the bitterness out of it. A no-drama people.
Is all that “basically” true? I don’t even know. That’s how much I don’t know about Canada.
Well, much of my family still lives in Canada and my direct line that I’m researching lived there from shortly after the (U.S.) Revolutionary War until shortly after the (U.S.) Civil War (I will pause here to say members of other lines of my family fought in both of those conflicts – and all on the winning sides as far as I know).
I went searching for a history of Papineauville Quebec (what is 90 miles from Montreal), an English-speaking valley in Quebec, where my family lived. Here’s a map. I quickly realized I needed to take a step back. I know a lot more about European countries than I do about Canada. So, I’m starting with the basics and shall work my way forward. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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