Sourcebook on Canadian Women

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SOURCEBOOK ON CANADIAN WOMEN

Philomena Hauck

Canadian Library Association, Ottawa, Canada.

Published by the Canadian Library Association 151 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario KIP 5E3 Copyright ©1979 Canadian Library Association All rights reserved ISBN 0-88802-126-7 Printed and bound in Canada

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Hauck, Philomena,

1927-

Sourcebook on Canadian women Includes index. ISBN 0-88802-126-7 1. Women—Canada—Bibliography. I. Canadian Library Association. Z7964.C3H38

II. Title.

016.30141'2’0971

C79-090060-2

CONTENTS Women’s Rights

1

Women and the Law

7

Work and Day Care

13

Health and Fitness

22

Biography

29

Literature by and about Women

42

Books for Liberated Children

77

Periodicals

83

Audio-Visual Material

90

General Bibliographies and Information Sources

100

Addresses of Publishers

103

Author/Title Index

105

A Word from the Author r„n,HiP P> T ° t !1S b°°k 1S t0 Provide a convenient access to Canadian materials about women. It is an annotated guide to books periodicals, pamphlets, audiovisual materials, and general infor- ’ lation sources directly or indirectly related to women and their concerns. Since it reflects the attitudes and social forces of the time imaginative literature by and about women is also included DurelvUloPfllhe rStm? u mch™™ rather than exclusive, materials of purely local interest have been omitted. Only English lanmiave At the time of

ai1 tbe—s

The book should be useful to schools, junior colleges, women’s groups and all those interested in the socialization of women and in their (largely disregarded) role in Canadian life and history on the'"

t aiT dUC n° I63" K°Walewskl for her extensive work terature by and about Women” section of the book.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

WOMEN’S RIGHTS Andersen, Margret, ed. MOTHER WAS NOT A PERSON. 2nd ed. Montreal: Black Rose Books, 1976. 274 p. $10.95 cloth, ISBN 0 91968 12 X; $3.95 paperback, ISBN 0 91968 00 6.

Arnopolous, Sheila, et al. TO SEE OURSELVES: FIVE VIEWS ON CANADIAN WOMEN. Ottawa: I.W.Y Secretariat. Distributed by Depart¬ ment of Supply and Services. 225 p. $7.00 paperback.

An anthology of writings by Montreal women students enrolled in the editor’s course on women in modern society at Loyola University, this diverse com¬ pilation includes reactions to male authors such as Leonard Cohen and female authors such as Margaret Atwood, discussions about political and social issues of concern to women, a brief outline of the struggle for women’s rights, and a few (generally undistinguished) poems. Because of the varying experiences and qualifi¬ cations of the writers, the essays are of

According to the five authors of this handsomely produced and profusely illustrated book, co-ordinated by the International Women’s Year Secre¬ tariat, little has yet been done to improve the lot of the average Canadian woman. Economist Dian Cohen’s essay on the professional woman gives facts and figures to prove that women are still discriminated against in wages and fringe benefits. More subjective, but more profoundly moving, are the essays on the non-professional women, the homemakers, and the disadvantaged women, several of whom are allowed to speak for themselves. Most dis¬ turbing is the last chapter, containing interviews with young women, many of whom are content with the status quo. For them, their biology deter¬ mines their destiny. A striking photo¬ essay showing women in various jobs and situations concludes a compassion¬ ate and compelling book suitable for adolescent and adult reading.

Bassett, Isabel. THE PARLOUR RE¬ BELLION. PROFILES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1975 223 p. $10.00. ISBN 0 7710 1096 6.

uneven quality. Some are brief personal statements containing little fresh or original material; a few are the product of considerable research. Two out¬ standing contributions are “Women and Persons,” by Christine Garside, an historical justification of women’s right to self-determination; and “Margaret Atwood: Love on the Dark Side of the Moon,” an excellent critique of Margaret Atwood’s poetry, by Katherine Walters. This essentially middle-class collection of feminist opinion and ideology would be ade¬ quate as an introductory consciousness raiser. A selected bibliography of Canadian publications on women is appended.

2

Occasional excerpts from the subjects’ speeches and writings enliven an other¬ wise bland compilation of factual material about Canadian women who rebelled against their assigned roles and who, through their efforts, suc¬ ceeded in creating opportunities for other women. The author concen¬ trates on nine women who made careers for themselves in politics, law, journalism, medicine and the academic world. Included are Anne Gaudin, Cora Hind, Ma Murray, Claire Martin and Therese Casgrain. Since so little has been published about Canadian feminists, almost any book is welcome among students and researchers. The detailed bibliography is a decided asset.

Bourne, Paula. WOMEN IN CANA¬ DIAN SOCIETY. Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1976. 158 p. $2.75 paperback. ISBN 0 7744 0123 0. Teachers looking for a contemporary, factual primer for high school classes will find exactly what they need here. The book is divided into four sections: “Women and the Law,” “The Criminal Code,” “Women and Work,” and “The Status of Native Women.” Each section gives case histories of representative situations, sets out the issues involved, and concludes with questions as spring¬ boards for discussion. Details of present and proposed legislation are also in¬ cluded. The readable, well-organized style makes the book suitable for both adolescent and adult group discussions. Chaput-Rolland, Solange and Gertrude Laing. FACE TO FACE. Toronto: New Press, 1972. $3.95 paperback. ISBN 88770 148 5. An exchange of views between Solange Chaput-Rolland, well-known FrenchCanadian journalist and political com¬ mentator, and Gertrude Laing, former member of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, is here presented as a series of conversations. Though primarily intended to promote a greater degree of understanding be¬ tween French and English Canadians, a substantial section of the book is devoted to women’s rights and women’s role in politics. In their dis¬ cussions, the authors emphasize not merely the liberation of women but the liberation of both sexes as human beings. Chaput-Rolland dwells on the inferior status of Quebec women and on her own difficulties as an aspiring politician. This dialogue between two open-minded and well-informed women makes a sincere and wellreasoned plea for human tolerance and for the removal of injustice in all situations.

Cleverdon, Catherine L. THE WOMAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT IN CANADA. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1974. 324 p. $6.50 paperback. ISBN 0 8020 6218 00. An objective account of the suffra¬ gette movement in Canada, originally written as a doctoral thesis in 1949, is here reprinted with an introduction by Dr. Ramsay Cook. Province by pro¬ vince, Cleverdon follows the progress of the struggle, which seemed pain¬ fully slow at first but which eventually succeeded in obtaining political free¬ dom for women. The book spans the period from 1876, when Dr. Emily Stowe and a small group of friends launched the Toronto Literary Club as a camouflage for their suffragist activities, to the year 1940, when the Quebec Suffrage Act was passed. Only in Quebec, the book records, did the struggle come close to erupting into violence. All the main events are recorded in a plain, straightforward style. Bibliographical notes indicate the sources consulted and the people interviewed—among whom are Nellie McClung, Agnes Macphail, and Dr. Irene Parlby. This is the only complete record of the Canadian suffragist movement and a valuable sourcebook for researchers.

Cook, Ramsay and Wendy Mitchinson, eds. THE PROPER SPHERE: WOMEN’S PLACE IN CANADIAN SOCIETY. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1976. 331 p. $6.95. ISBN 0 19 540272 3. Fifty selections from primary sources (most of which formed the basis for Cleverdon’s The Women Suffrage Movement in Canada) document the history of Canadian women from 1850 to 1946. Divided into sections accord¬ ing to the issues involved—legal rights, education, work, organizations, morality, suffrage and woman’s proper sphere-the book also contains some editorial comments. There are excerpts from old sermons putting women in their place, a record of the first class of women medical students, and a store¬ house of quotations from newspapers and other contemporary records. Since most of the documents are fairly lengthy, the reader gets an excellent perspective on the true condition of women during the period in question. We see at first hand the struggles for

recognition, the debates about the true place of women, and the gradual improvement in women’s condition. Though the emphasis is primarily on white, middle-class women, this im¬ portant book gives the best access yet available to primary source material about Canadian women in the past. Its purpose, “to illustrate how and in some instances why, women came to win recognition as ‘persons’,” is fully realized. As well as enlivening the study of Canadian women’s history, the book enables the reader to place the Canadian situation in an inter¬ national perspective.

EXPLORING SEX ROLE KIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELLORS. Vancouver Status of Women, 2029 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. 15 p. 50$. A guide to counteract sexism in high school counselling. It includes case histories, material on role reversal, and a bibliography.

The Corrective Collective. SHE NAMED IT CANADA. 5th ed. Toronto: Women’s Press, 1975. 80 p. $1.25 paperback. ISBN 0 88862 043 8. For an interesting counterpoint to the usually serious approach to women’s role in Canada’s past, here is a wry and ironic retelling of Canadian history from a radical point of view. Part of the message is in the unorthodox format of script on newsprint with amusing line drawings. Here is the other side of the story of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the native peoples, and the role of women. Slyly humorous comments are intended to explode some time-honoured myths about our Canadian past. The comic-book format and irreverent approach will appeal to many young people.

Griffith, N.E.S. PENELOPE’S WEB: SOME PERCEPTIONS OF WOMEN IN EUROPEAN AND CANADIAN SOCIETY. Toronto: Oxford Univer¬ sity Press, 1976. 249 p. $4.95 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 19 540268 5. What are the historical reasons that have forced women into their inferior position today? That is the broad problem the author addresses in Penelope’s Web, a book based on a series of lectures for a CTV “Univer¬ sity of the Air” series. Her thesis is that, although women have always endured some discrimination, it was not until the 17th century that they became really oppressed. To support her contention, Griffith examines the history of Europe and North America, covering a 400-year period. In her analysis of the Canadian scene, she examines the attitudes of pioneer society towards women, recounts significant social movements, and dis¬ cusses the recent vvork of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. Although clearly written and enlivened with excerpts from many women’s diaries and literary sources, the book suffers from a lack of focus. The coverage is too broad to provide a coherent, in-depth analysis of a complex subject. It is chiefly im¬ portant as an introduction to the still limited sources on the history of Canadian women. 3

Henshel, Anne Marie. SEX STRUC¬ TURE. Don Mills, Ontario: Longman, 1973. 166 p. $2.95 paperback. ISBN 0 7747 3014 5. The first book in Longman’s “Canadian Social Problems” series, Sex Structure deals with some of the questions in the sociology of gender, especially in the division of labour and the ways in which women are socialized through education, the family and the mass media. In examining more closely the contemporary differential in the work world, the author, a sociology professor at York University, uses statistics on women in higher education to show the inequities still suffered by these women. Then turning to the women’s liberation movement, she looks at its impact on male and female roles. Having concluded that the status quo is detrimental to both sexes, Henshel examines some suggested remedies. Written in a scholarly style, with many footnotes and an extensive bibli¬ ography, the book would be useful as a college textbook for courses in sociology and women’s studies.

McClung, Nellie. IN TIMES LIKE THESE. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972. 129 p. $10.00 cloth, ISBN 0 8020 1823 8; $3.50 paperback, ISBN 0 8020 6125 7. This strong plea for women’s rights, first published in 1915, in the early part of the first world war, is now reissued with an introduction by Veronica Strong-Boag. McClung’s case for equality is based on the demand for human rights for all human beings and on the belief that only women have the necessary spiritual and moral qualities to reform society. Written in a lively style and sprinkled with anec¬ dotes and examples, the book is a still valid analysis of the feminist position. With wit and verve, McClung is at her best in demolishing the prejudices and time-honoured cliches that have been used to uphold male superiority. Though it has been attacked for its evangelistic fervour and its emphasis on the sacred role of motherhood, In Times Like These is still one of the best pleas for human rights and social reform.

Matheson, Gwen, ed. WOMEN IN THE CANADIAN MOSAIC. Toronto: Peter

THE LACE GHETTO. Toronto: New

Martin Associates, 1975. 353 p. $12.00 cloth, ISBN 0 88778 125 X; $5.95 paperback, ISBN 0 88778 126 8.

Press, 1972. 152 p. $8.95 cloth, ISBN 0 88770 049 7; $4.95 paperback, ISBN 0 88770 075 6.

The intention of this collection of essays, all written by women com¬ mitted to the feminist cause, is to offer Canadian women some knowledge of their past and a greater understand¬ ing of their present situation. There are two groups of articles-those in¬ vestigating the past and those relating the personal experiences of women in several areas of contemporary life. Deborah Gorham’s succinct essay on the Canadian suffragists suggests that their lack of militancy may have been counterproductive. Other important essays are ‘The Woman as Writer,” by Margaret Atwood, and “Breaking out of the Female World,” by Maryon Kantaroff. Sex stereotyping in schools, sexist discrimination in universities, and the attitude of the churches towards women are also effectively dealt with. Rosemary Brown and Grace Hartman contribute their views on women in politics and women in trade unions. An appendix gives the addresses of women’s centres, women’s news¬ papers and regional contacts. In spite of its avowedly Canadian orientation, the book contains only passing refer¬ ences to native women and one very brief essay on women in Quebec.

At last, a witty and attractive book about the feminist movement! The authors present advertisements, car¬ toons, comic strips, periodical articles, and photographs that make telling and often humorous comments on woman’s real position and the accepted myths about femininity. The accompanying text, containing some very frank inter¬ views about male and female responsi¬ bilities, should give even the non¬ feminist pause for thought. Editorial comments are minimal; pictures and quotations speak eloquently for them¬ selves. The authors’ hope that The Lace Ghetto will have “the effect of a low-key consciousness-raising meeting” is well realized. A delightful, McLuhanlike book, it can be read with enjoy¬ ment by contemporary men as well as girls and women.

Nunes, Maxine and Deanna White.

Riddell, Barry, et al. WOMEN IN SOCIETY. Toronto: Maclean-Hunter, 1971. 52 p. $1.50 paperback. ISBN ’ 0 919290 82 5. History teachers in the Metropolitan Toronto School System have produced an attractive illustrated booklet, in¬ tended as a discussion motivater for high school students. Starting with a briet review of the position of women in the past, the authors move on to recent changes. Further sections deal with women and work, women in politics, myths and realities in marriage, and women in the future. No con¬ clusions are drawn, interviews, quo¬ tations, photographs and questions being used to provide food for thought and discussion. At the end of each section is a list of activities intended to lead to further research. The booklet is an attractive and thought-provoking starting point for further study and research.

Royal Commission on the Status of Women. REPORT. Ottawa: Infor¬ mation Canada, 1970. 488 p. $4.50 paperback. The Royal Commission on the Status of Women was set up in 1967 and its findings were reported in 1970. Its terms of reference covered women in the economy, women in education, women and the family, taxation and child care, women in public life, women and the law, criminal law and women offenders, poverty, and immi¬ gration and citizenship. Chaired by Florence Bird, this commission, com¬ posed of five women and two men, brought in a lucid, well-reasoned report substantiated by evidence and research. The commission made farreaching recommendations, based on the principle that everyone is entitled to the rights and freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Some important recommen¬ dations were (1) that women should be free to take employment outside the home, (2) that the care of children is the responsibility of mother, father and society, (3) that special treatment related to maternity will always be necessary and (4) that for an interim period, special treatment for women would be required to overcome the adverse effects of discriminatory prac¬ tices. Each chapter presents docu¬ mentation, background information and a suggested plan of action. Well written, well edited, and lucidly argued, the report is a model of its kind and should be available to career counsellors, women’s study groups and library patrons. An excellent index enhances the value of this indispensable document.

Savage, Candace. FOREMOTHERS 1976. Available from the editor, 350 Carleton Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatch¬ ewan, S7H 4C1.99 p. $2.50 paperback. Foremothers first appeared as a weekly column in several Saskatchewan news¬ papers. Its purpose is twofold: to celebrate the accomplishments of a few distinguished prairie women and to explore a number of themes in the history of Saskatchewan women as a class. Sketchy as these biographies and other essays are, they have been based on a considerable number of primary and secondary sources and should pave the way for a more indepth study.

Stephenson, Marylee, ed. WOMEN IN CANADA. Toronto: New Press, 1973. 331 p. $9.95 cloth, ISBN 0 88770 727 0; $4.95 paperback, ISBN 0 88770 728 9.

Smith, Dorothy E. FEMINISM AND MARXISM: A PLACE TO BEGIN, A WAY TO GO. Vancouver: New Star Books, 1977. 52 p. $8.95 cloth, ISBN 0 91988 72 0; $ 1.95 paperback, ISBN 0 91988 71 2. An expanded version of a talk given by the author during Women’s Week at the University of British Columbia, Feminism and Marxism is an attempt to place the “woman situation” in a Marxist perspective. In Smith’s view, it is impossible to unite women across party lines. Only through fundamental changes in society can women hope to throw off their chains. Although Smith admits that Marxists “begin from the position of men in the society just as do the political and economic ideologists of the bour¬ geoisie,” she is emphatic in her belief that women’s oppression is an integral part of capitalism. Rather than seeking for the roots of female oppression in a patriarchal society, Smith holds to the opinion that women should join the struggle against the enemies of all the people-the capitalists. Smith is co¬ editor with Sara David of Women Look at Psychiatry.

Smith, Margot and Carol Pasternak, eds. BREAKING THE MOULD: LESSON AID PLANS TO EXPLORE SEX ROLES K-8. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1977. 122 p. $4.95. ISBN 0 7744 0156 7. A series of 36 lesson plans in loose-leaf format, this curriculum guide is in¬ tended to facilitate a critical examin¬ ation of sex-role stereotyping. It is divided into two major sections. The larger one is made up of classroom pro¬ jects and the other consists of extensive lists of Canadian and American re¬ sources and sources. Designed to be an integral part of the school program, the course outlined in the guide depicts men and women in non-traditional situations and is intended for ele¬ mentary school students. Breaking the Mould, if used wisely, will live up to its title.

Marylee Stephenson is a teacher in the Department of Sociology at the Uni¬ versity of Windsor and a member of the editorial board of the Canadian Newsletter of Research on Women. This collection of essays, chiefly by women teachers and researchers like herself, covers the many-faceted role of women in Canadian society. High and low status women, traditional and change-oriented women are discussed.

One important essay by Sherrill Cheda deals with the largely overlooked subject of native women. Individual sections deal with the status of women, women’s rights, the socialization of women, marriage and the family, work outside the home, and prospects for the future. An excellent bibliography of pertinent social science materials published between 1950 and 1972 is included. Too academic for the general reader, the collection will be particu¬ larly suitable for women’s study courses at the college and university levels.

5

Trofimenkoff, Susan Mann and Alison Prentice, eds. THE NEGLECTED

Zaremba, Eve, ed. PRIVILEGE OF SEX. Toronto: Anansi, 1974. $8.95

MAJORITY: ESSAYS IN CANADIAN WOMEN’S HISTORY. Toronto:

cloth, ISBN 0 88784 716 1; $3.95 paperback, ISBN 0 88784 617 3.

McClelland & Stewart, 1977. 192 p. $5.95 paperback. ISBN0 7710 8595 8. The editors of this collection of essays do not believe that there is enough evidence available on which to base generalizations about women’s experi¬ ences in the Canadian past; their pur¬ pose is merely to record the roles and contributions of women in Canadian history. Arranged in chronological order, the eight essays cover a time span extending from the days of the fur trade to the second world war. Amongst the topics are “The Femin¬ ization of Teaching,” “The Changing Role of Women in 19th Century Montreal,” “Henri Bourassa and the ‘Woman’ Question” and “Woman’s Emancipation and the Recruitment of Women into the Labour Force in World War II.” All the contributors have done extensive research into the lives of women and into the ideologies and events that affected them, in some cases going to the writings of parish priests, fur traders, school superinten¬ dents and government officials, as well as minutes of meetings and the letters and diaries of the women themselves. These in-depth and scholarly studies, with numerous notes and an extensive bibliographical essay, fill some gaps in Canadian social history.

6

The author has made a personal selec¬ tion of women’s writings from the 1830s to 1925 and linked them to¬ gether with brief editorial comments. The first section consists of fragments from the writings of middle-class female immigrants, among whom are Anne Langton, who constantly flouted the conventions of her time, and Anna Jameson, who was especially interested in the lot of Indian women. In the second section are examples of the extreme privation endured by two early pioneers, Theresa Gowanlock and N. Davenport. The third section illustrates changing expectations and pressures for change. Included here are excerpts from the writings of Nellie McClung, Agnes Macphail, and Marjorie MacMurchy. Sketchy though most of the excerpts are, they do provide eloquent examples of the viewpoints of Canadian women from varying back¬ grounds. The narratives of Gowanlock and Davenport are reprinted here in their entirety for the first time since their original publication; the other excerpts are from readily accessible sources.

WOMEN and the

LAW

WOMEN AND THE LAW Andrews, H.T.G., ed. FAMILY LAW IN THE FAMILY COURTS. Toronto: Carswell, 1973. 232 p. $17.50. ISBN 0 459 31280 4. There is a recent trend in Canada to provide in one court the jurisdictional and social resources to deal compre¬ hensively with all family-related prob¬ lems. This book is a useful sourcebook for students and lawyers interested in such problems. Each of the six chapters is written by a prominent Ontario jurist, the emphasis being on the Ontario scene. Subjects covered are the Deserted Wives’ and Children’s Maintenance Act, the Reciprocal En¬ forcement of Maintenance Orders Act, The Child Welfare Act (with special reference to children in need of pro¬ tection and children born out of wedlock) and the provisions of the Mental Health.Act. Appendices give copies of the various acts that come under the Family Court jurisdiction. For the layperson, the book is long on legal references and short on explana¬ tory analysis. For the professional, however, it brings together most of the relevant data about Canadian family law.

Clark, Lorenne and Debra J. Lewis. RAPE: THE PRICE OF COERCIVE SEXUALITY. Toronto: Women’s Press, 1977. 224 p. $12.95 cloth, ISBN 0 88961 032 0; $5.95 paperback ISBN 0 88961 033. The authors, founding members of the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, have a long history of involvement in the women’s movement and an extensive background in law, philosophy and criminology. For this first systematic study of rape in Canada, they were allowed access to the Metropolitan Toronto Police Department files on the 117 rapes reported in the city in 1970. The first part of the book sets down and examines the actual data obtained from the fdes. This is followed by an interpretation of the data and recommendations about specific changes in legal, judicial and police procedures. The authors conclude that rape is the logical product of a society based on male domination and in¬ equality, where even the rapist is a victim of the belief that masculinity is related to sexual aggression. They recommend that rape be treated as

8

common assault; that all rape victims, regardless of age, class, or marital status, be treated equally; and that no rape victims be cross-examined on their personal history.

RAPE: The price of coercive sexuality

Davidson, Ruth. MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LAW IN ONTARIO: A GUIDE TO DRAFTING MARRIAGE CONTRACTS. Vancouver: Inter¬ national Self-Counsel Press, 1975. $3.95 paperback. ISBN0 88908 308 8. The author’s purpose is “to acquaint the reader in general terms with the nature of a marriage and the conse¬ quences of a separation.” The caveat is given about consulting a lawyer in cases of serious matrimonial problems. What are the grounds for divorce? What is a separation agreement and can it be enforced? How are the house and property divided? How is child support arrived at? What circumstances can lead to a charge of juvenile delin¬ quency? All these and similar questions are answered, the advice being geared mainly towards women’s needs. About one-third of the book is composed of postscripts concerning the choice of a lawyer, legal aid, court procedures and samples of marriage and common-law contracts.

Dranoff, Linda Silver. WOMEN IN CANADIAN LAW. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1977. 1 12 p. $4.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88902 377 8. Linda Dranoff is a practising lawyer in Toronto. In this book, illustrated with old photographs and excerpts from legal documents from the past, she examines the Canadian legal system, pointing out the laws that have led to discrimination against women. A solid, comprehensive survey of the status of women in Canadian law, the text deals not only with the development of women’s rights in various branches of the law, but also examines the personalities involved and landmark legal decisions. Designed for discussion groups in high schools and community colleges, the book includes questions and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter. An infor¬ mative and attractive book, it con¬ tributes to our understanding of the social and historical context that underlies the present legal position of women and is readable and welldesigned besides. The book concludes with a glossary of legal terms.

EVALUATION OF NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT ON FEMALE OFFENDERS. Ottawa: Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1978. 57 p. Free. An excellent critique of the Report on Female Offenders, this evaluation takes a hard look at the correction system, backing up its conclusions with statistics and a good bibliography.

Garrison, Richard. ALBERTA DIVORCE GUIDE. Vancouver: Inter¬ national Self-Counsel Press, 1973. 120 p. $6.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88908 203 0. Garrison, a practising lawyer, gives step-by-step instructions for obtaining a divorce. As with other such guides published by the Self-Counsel Press, the reader is given a thorough briefing on the legalities and procedures, though legal advice is recommended for cer¬ tain cases, especially where the divorce is contested. Essential legal forms may be purchased from the publisher, help¬ ing to keep legal fees to a minimum.

Jahn, Penelope and Charles Campbell. THE SELF-HELP GUIDE TO DIVORCE, CHILDREN, WELFARE. Toronto: Anansi, 1976. 110 p. $3.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88784 612 2. In spite of its title, this is not a do-ityourself manual but an informal guide to the legal aspects of Canadian family law. It is intended “to fill the gap between the sympathetic condolences of friends and social workers and a lawyer’s hard-nosed assessment of realities.’’ Covering custody disputes, marital property agreements, commonlaw marriage, welfare and its ramifi¬ cations, juvenile delinquency, and other related subjects, the book describes how the law works when any of these family problems demands a legal solution. Addressed mainly to women, especially those who hover around the welfare line, the guide is informative, well organized and jargonfree. Too brief to give comprehensive coverage of the whole Canadian scene, legal references being mainly to Ontario situations, the guide neverthe¬ less serves to alert readers to possible difficulties and acquaint them with available sources of assistance.

Labour Canada. HUMAN RIGHTS IN CANADA. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services, 1977. 55 p. $2.00 paper¬ back. Cat. No. L 34-23/1977. Available in English and French editions, Human Rights in Canada out¬ lines federal and provincial jurisdictions over human rights. It lists and analyses new legislation related to human rights (1976) and prints tables to serve as a rapid reference to the main provisions of the Acts insofar as prohibited practices are concerned. As the book indicates, there are still many areas where the Canadian Bill of Rights is ineffective and wide variations among provincial laws to prevent discrimi¬ nation by race, religion, colour and sex.

Law Reform Commission of Canada. DIVORCE (WORKING PAPER 13). Ottawa: Information Canada, 1975. 65 p. English and French. $2.00 paperback Cat. No. J32-1/13-1975. Considering the controversial nature of the subject, it is not surprising that the members of the Law Reform Commission were unable to reach a consensus in this Working Paper. The predominant view expressed was that a fault-oriented divorce system is not effective in supporting marriage stability. Counselling and conciliation services to promote compatibility and social welfare measures to alleviate economic stresses threatening a marriage are suggested as being more effective alternatives. Particular emphasis is placed on the need to protect the interests of children. The report begins by analysing divorce regulations and trends, and it concludes that the present adversary procedure is involved, expen¬ sive and not conducive to a conciliatory approach. In a chapter on proposals for reform it shows the need for informal, flexible pre-trial procedures, with emphasis on counselling. The commission recommends that a family court be empowered to enforce maintenance orders and orders relating to the care and upbringing of children. Lucid and well organized, the working paper presents humane and reasonable proposals to promote the welfare of children and to ensure fair and reasonable economic readjustment between spouses.

Law Reform Commission of Canada. THE FAMILY COURT (WORKING PAPER 1). Ottawa: Information Canada, 1974. 55, 57 p. English and French. 1974. $2.00 paperback. Cat. No. J-32-1/1 - 1974. The first of a series of Working Papers upon which the final Report on Family Law was based is here presented for public comment. Recognizing the confusion and frustration caused to those seeking solutions to problems in family relation¬ ships under the present fragmented system, the commission recommended that a unified family court system be set up. Recommendations are made as to how the family court, should be organized and on the training of presiding judges. Particu¬ lar attention is given to pre-trial family counselling services and to the support services and facilities that should be available in order that maintenance orders and other orders may be duly enforced. A clear analysis of the problems is followed by sensible suggestions, which should facilitate the treatment of those problems in a coherent, sympathetic way.

Law Reform Commission of Canada. FAMILY LAW. Ottawa: Information Canada, 1976. 73, 79 p. English and French. $3.50 paperback. Cat. No. J31-20/1976. In March 1976, the Law Reform Commission of Canada submitted its final report and recommendations to the Minister of Justice on the area of family law. The report was based on a number of documents, some of which were published separately as working papers. Focusing on a unified family court, marriage dis¬ solution and the economic readjustments involved, and the rights of children, the commission attempted to develop a coherent legal policy to replace some parts of the present law which do not accord with today’s social realities. Among the major recommendations were (1) that a unified family court should be set up to deal with all the legal problems of the family, (2) that the failure of the personal relationship between husband and wife should be a sufficient basis for the dissolution of a marriage, (3) that settlement of property matters should be based on need and should be kept separate from matters relating to the marriage breakdown, (4) that children should have the most suitable arrangements for their care and upbringing and the right to economic support, and (5) to avoid further fragmentation, changes in federal laws should be made in co-operation with the provinces. Refreshingly free from legal jargon, the report is a clear, wellreasoned and humane proposal for fundamental reform and a strong restatement of the importance of the family as the basic unit in society. 9

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LAW IN ALBERTA. Van¬ McBean, Jean.

couver: Self-Counsel Press, 1975. 178 p. $3.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88908 207 3. Alberta women will welcome this popular handbook by Edmonton lawyer Jean McBean. In plain, every¬ day language, McBean deals clearly with all matters of a legal nature that may develop from the act of two people getting married. Whether the subject be the difference between formal and common-law marriages, the marriage contract, the value of a separation agreement, the grounds for divorce, property settlements, child custody and maintenance, adoption, or juvenile delinquency charges, the reader gets concise information and advice. A sample marriage contract is included, as well as addresses of legal aid societies in Alberta and information on how to choose a lawyer. Law Reform Commission of Canada.

FAMILY PROPERTY (WORKING PAPER

8). Ottawa: Information Canada, 1975. 45, 46 p. English and French. $2.00 paperback. Cat. No. J32-1/9 - 1975. In the view of the commission, the traditional law of the separate property positions of spouses when a marriage is terminated is in immediate need of substantial change. As it now stands, the law results in economic inequality and the denial of the legal dignity and worth of the spouse who raises the children and works in the home. The commission recommends that there should be an equal participation by both spouses in the financial gains of the marriage. Although recognizing that present property laws affecting spouses are in the pro¬ vincial domain, the commission is of the opinion that there is a federal responsi¬ bility to promote uniformity and consistency across the country. Before reaching its conclusions, the commission analysed all approaches to reform and such basic policy issues as whether marital misconduct should influence property sharing. This well-reasoned and thought-provoking document encouraged public input before proceeding to final recommendations.

Law Reform Commission of Canada. MAINTENANCE ON DIVORCE (WORK¬ ING PAPER 12). Ottawa: Information Canada, 1975. 40, 45 p. English and French. $2.00 paperback. Cat. No. J-32-1/12 - 1975. The maintenance provisions of the 1968 Divorce Act were imprecise, no indi¬ cation being given as to eligibility, criteria for determining the duration of maintenance payments, or methods by which payments should be made. After examining the past and present legal situations on this subject, the commission concluded that the purpose of maintenance obligations on divorce should be to enable a former spouse who has incurred a financial disability because of marriage to become self-sufficient again as soon as possible. In light of this, the main recommendations were as follows: (1) right to maintenance shall continue for as long as reasonable need exists and no longer; (2) a maintained spouse has an obligation to assume responsibility for his or her own maintenance within a reasonable period of time; and (3) a right to maintenance is not adversely affected by conduct during or after the marriage. As in the other publications by the Law Reform Commission, the readable style and lucid arguments contribute to an excellent analysis of a complex subject.

10

Marr, R. Flynn. FAMILY LAW AND GUIDE TO DRAFTING MARRIAGE CONTRACTS, 2nd ed. Vancouver: International Self-Counsel Press, 1974. 164 p. $3.50 paperback. ISBN 0 88908 111 5. Many of the potentials of the new British Columbia Family Relations Act have yet to be explored, according to the author, who sets out to lead the readers through the labyrinth of family law and acquaint them with their legal rights and responsibilities. Major sections entitled “Husband and Wife,” “Children” and “Children and the Law” answer most of the questions raised in these areas. There is a brief but clear discussion on the legal differences between formal and in¬ formal marriages, separation agree¬ ments, maintenance laws, name changes, wills, chdd custody and delin¬ quent children. Appendices contain the Family Relations Act and helpful advice on how to start legal proceed¬ ings, how to obtain legal aid, how to prepare for giving evidence and how to choose a lawyer. Lists of important addresses and a legal aid directory are included. Parts of the book have been reprinted from Women and the Law, by Vancouver Peoples’ Law School, but the book is helpful to all lay¬ persons, not merely women.

Powell, Wayne R. BRITISH COLUM¬ BIA DIVORCE GUIDE. 4th ed. Vancouver: International Self-Counsel Press, 1975. 123 p. $6.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88908 103 3. The objective of this simplified stepby-step guide, written by a lawyer employed by the Self-Counsel Press, is to enable the average layperson to obtain his/her own divorce. The reader is warned, however, that a lawyer should be consulted in unusual cases, especially if the divorce is contested. The guide mentions various package divorce services which are available from the publisher and which contain sets of forms the client will need.

RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT. Ottawa: Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1976. 16, 16 p. English and French. Free. (The Person Papers)

procedures and the functions of the lawyer. In a direct, personal style the book gives sound advice on how to avoid legal hassles and how to act if you do become involved. Scattered throughout the text, on contrasting green paper, are facsimiles of legal documents and examples of typical and unusual legal cases. There is a glossary of legal terms, a copy of the Canadian Bill of Rights and a good index. This new edition of a very popular book emerges as a complete and readable overview of the Canadian legal system for the average layperson.

guides do for residents of those pro¬ vinces. It gives step-by-step guidance on divorce proceedings, designed to keep legal fees at a minimum, and it mentions relevant legal documents that may be purchased from the publisher.

TAXATION UNTANGLED. Ottawa: Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1977. 16, 16 p. English and French. Free. (The Person Papers)

Taxation Untangled explains the prin¬ Reid, Ronald J. DIVORCE GUIDE FOR ONTARIO. 2nd ed. Vancouver: International Self-Counsel Press, 1975. 117 p. $7.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88908 304 5. This second edition of a previous publi¬ cation does for Ontario residents what the Alberta and British Columbia

ciples underlying our tax structure and shows how they discriminate against women. Written clearly and using cartoons and other graphics, the book gives a lucid analysis of existing tax laws and legal loopholes. It is intended as a prod to awaken women to the need for concerted action for tax re¬ form, not as a handy guide to filling out a tax form.

The many misunderstandings that surround the subject of rape are briefly discussed. The pamphlet examines existing laws which, it states, were not designed to punish the rapist. Several suggestions are made for legal reform.

Reader’s Digest Association of Canada. YOU AND THE LAW: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CANADIAN LAW, 2nd ed. Montreal: Reader’s Digest Associ¬ ation, 1976. 893 p. $19.45. ISBN 0 88850 040 8. Although it is not geared to women’s interests, You and the Law is a good comprehensive guide to all aspects of the Canadian legal system as applied to ordinary day-to-day situations. Several prominent lawyers are listed as con¬ tributors, though the extent of their contribution is uncertain, the editors assuming final responsibility for the accuracy of the material. The book deals with legal situations mainly from the common-law viewpoint that oper¬ ates in every Canadian province except Quebec. The differences between this system and the Code Napoleon, upon which Quebec laws are based, are pointed out in many instances. The nineteen chapters in the book cover legal situations in seven broad areas: the home and family, the factory or office, finances, leisure-time hazards, obtaining justice when wronged, court

11

Zuker, Marvin A. and June Callwood. CANADIAN WOMEN AND THE LAW. Toronto: Copp, Clark, 1971. 100 p. $3.50 paperback. ISBN 0 7730 402 8. The authors intended this to be a useful handbook on the law for the use of women in periods of crisis and in the ordinary circumstances of a lifetime. More objective and low-key than The Law is Not for Women, this earlier book covers more or less the same ground. Some examples and statistics are, of course, out of date.

-THE LAW IS NOT FOR WOMEN. Toronto Pitman, 1976. 168 p. $7.95 cloth, ISBN 273 04250 5$5.95 paperback, ISBN 273 04250 5. Journalist June Callwood and lawyer Marvin A. Zuker team together for a second time to take a critical look at the legal rights and responsibilities of women in Canada. This expanded and updated revision of their previous book, Canadian Women and the Law (1971), is an overview of ’ laws relating to women of all ages and in many circum¬ stances. The authors conclude that many changes have been recommended since 1971 but few have been implemented. There are chapters on the position of female children, on women as wives and mothers, on abortions, separation, divorce, work, welfare, credit, arrest, insanity, and old age. Because of its broad coverage it merely touches on the high¬ lights of federal legislation and makes little reference to provincial statutes. The sensible, down-to-earth approach and lively style will appeal to most people, though the authors warn anyone seeking specific legal advice to consult a professional lawyer. The book provides a glossary of legal terms, the names and addresses of provincial legal aid directors and a list of women’s newspapers.

12

WORK and

DAY CARE

WORK AND DAY CARE

Work Acton, Janice,ed. WOMEN AT WORK; 1850-1930. Toronto: Women’s Press, 1974. 405 p. $12.50 cloth, ISBN 088961 012 7; $6.00 paperback, ISBN 0 88961 013 5.

Women at Work is the product of two years of research by a group of women who sought to piece together “how Canadian women’s lives have been folded, packaged and stamped 'female’ to preserve a whole range of exploitive relationships.” It was the first an¬ thology of women’s labour history to be published in North America and the winner of the Toronto City Book Award. The book traces the economic and social history of working women during a period of rapid economic expansion. Among the contents are essays on women in domestic service, early teachers in Ontario, the Toronto dressmakers’ strike of 1931, and the Toronto prostitute at the turn of the century. The authors develop the thesis that although women’s work has been fundamental to Canada’s development, women have been consistently ex¬ ploited by employers and ignored by history. Based on primary research into statistical sources, personal ac¬ counts and newspaper records, this is an important and sensitively written analysis of an often-neglected subject. Photographs, drawings, an extensive bibliography and a chapter on how to research enhance its value.

Archibald, Kathleen. SEX AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE. Ottawa: Queen’s Printer, 1970. 218 p. $3.25 paperback. Cat. No. SC 3-3670. Although considerable data on Canadian pub he servants was available before the publication of this report, only a small portion of it was easily accessible to the general public. At the request of the Public Service Com¬ mission of Canada, the author under¬ took a thorough analysis of the prob¬ lems and issues relating to the influence of an employee’s sex on personnel policies and practices in the public service. After examining differences in the capability, experience, and work interests of both sexes, Archibald con¬ cludes that these factors do not fully explain the lower salaries paid to women. Several recommendations are made regarding equal opportunities, recruitment practices, part-time em¬ ployment and day-care facilities. It is also pointed out that the Government of Canada, the largest employer of women in Canada, should be a leader in this area of social progress. Serious readers will find this still a good, systematic analysis of the effect of sex on employment in the Canadian Public Service. The fact that many of the statistical tables and technical notes are contained in an appendix, rather than in the main text, makes it less formidable reading.

Bennett, James E. and Pierre M. Loewe. WOMEN IN BUSINESS: A

SHOCKING WASTE OF HUMAN RESOURCES. Toronto: Maclean Hunter, 1975. 150p. $4.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88896 036 0. The material available here has been adapted from a series of articles that originally appeared in the Financial Post in 1975 and includes some new data. According to the authors’ re¬ search, today’s women make up about 40% of the Canadian labour force, yet they hold only 4% of the management positions and, on an average, earn 45% less than men. After a review of the major issues affecting the lower status of women, e.g., lack of commitment by Canadian business, occupational stereotyping, and discrimination in wages and fringe benefits, the authors go on to deal with specific problems and possible solutions. The final 14

chapter examines recent American developments and suggests how they could serve as models for Canadian action. Aimed specifically at business¬ men in the hope of persuading them to right present inequities, Women in Business is an essentially conservative, but readable, plea for equal oppor¬ tunity. No suggestions are made for mandatory action. The bibliography is composed mainly of Canadian sources.

EMPLOYMENT IN CHARTERED BANKS, 1969-1975. Bossen, Marianne.

Ottawa: Advisory Council on the Status of Women and Canadian Bankers’ Association, 1976. 71 p. Free from the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Marianne Bossen prepared a review of the status of women in banking for the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. The present report is an up¬ date of that study. Findings indicate that although women have made some inroads into middle management positions, senior management and executive positions are still male preserves. Though fringe benefits have been reviewed and updated and differ¬ ential treatment of male and female employees has been virtually elimi¬ nated, there is some question that women must have higher qualifications than men to be considered for the same opportunities. The report concludes with some positive suggestions for better utilization of women’s talents. This well-written and well-documented report should be useful to mature students following courses in women’s studies.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

WOMEN IN THE CBC: REPORT OF THE CBC TASK FORCE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 1975. 196 p. $5.00 paperback. ISBN 0 88794 077 3. A task force was set up by the CBC in 1974 to compile information on the position of women employees, to identify problems, to establish ’pri¬ orities for solving these problems, and to develop action programs. The findings indicated that the CBC was falling behind the national average in the employment of women and that CBC women in general were dissatisfied with the status quo. The 56 recommen¬ dations cover such areas as job access, the position of secretaries, responsi¬ bilities of parenthood, and an overall action program. Many excellent graphs and charts are used to illustrate indi¬ vidual arguments. In conclusion, the task force urged that the implemen¬ tation of an equal opportunity pro¬ gram be given a very high priority so that the recommended changes could be phased in over a period of three or four years. This is a well-reasoned and well-documented study.

Institute to examine statistics and make the results available to the general reader. Dr. Gail Cook, the project director, and seven noted researchers collaborated to produce this anthology, which describes, ex¬ plains and evaluates the changing pattern of women in the family, in education, and in the labour force. The central themes in the book are that many so-called women’s issues, such as child care, should be viewed instead as human and social issues and that men and women should have equal opportunities to choose jobs inside or outside the home. An intro¬ ductory essay by the editor is followed by four factual essays analysing census and survey data relating to the family, education and work patterns, and policies affecting work. The concluding chapter assesses the current situation, focuses on the main barriers to equal' opportunity, and outlines the steps which must be taken to achieve equality. Although the essays are based on statistical data, the writers have taken care to present readable and concise analyses understandable to the average layperson.

The Corrective Collective. NEVER DONE. THREE CENTURIES OF WOMEN’S WORK IN CANADA. Toronto: Women’s Press, 1974. 160 p. $3.75paperback,ISBN0 88961 009 7; $4.50 school edition, ISBN 0 88961

010 0. Aimed at high school and college students, Never Done surveys Canadian history to World War I for the purpose of recounting the largely overlooked contribution of Canadian women. In a familiar, often ironical style, the authors examine the situation of the early pioneers and the increasing participation of women in the Canadian work force. The many graphics by

Cochrane, Jean and Pat Kincaid.

WOMEN IN CANADIAN LIFE: POLITICS. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1977. 96 p. $2.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88902 375 1.

Cook, Gail C.A., ed. OPPORTUNITY FOR CHOICE: A GOAL FOR WOMEN IN CANADA. Ottawa: Infor¬ mation Canada, 1976. 217 p. $3.75 paperback. Cat. No. IC 23-15/1976. A study designed to broaden under¬ standing of the role of women in Canada was initiated by Dr. Sylvia Ostry, Chief Statistician of Canada, who approached the C.D. Howe

This attractive, well-illustrated book, aimed at high school students, is part' of a series entitled “Women in Canadian Life.” Commencing with chapters on the condition of women in pioneer times, the book goes on to describe the first struggles for the vote and the women who pioneered these early endeavours. A special chapter is devoted to Quebec, where the fran¬ chise was later in coming to women than in the other provinces. Succeeding chapters discuss women’s place in local, provincial, national and inter¬ national politics. Bibliographies of books, magazine articles and films are included. This is a good class¬ room resource for information and consciousness raising.

Collette French give an amusing visual representation of the story. In spite of its superficial coverage and frankly stated bias, unsophisticated readers will enjoy dipping into this book, which has many delightful illustrations. An extensive bibliography is a decided asset to an otherwise polemical text. A teacher’s guide is in preparation.

15

Decision Marketing Research. WOMEN IN CANADA. Ottawa. Office of the Co-ordinator of the Status of Women, 1976. 256 p. Free. In December 1974 and December 1975 two national in-home personal interviews were conducted by Decision Marketing Research, following rigid sampling procedures. The object of the study was to discover the attitudes of Canadians towards issues relevant to the status of women and to measure any changes in attitudes that occurred during International Women’s Year, especially in the area of employment. Among its major findings were that more Canadians believed at the end of IWY that women should have equal job and pay opportunities, that a vast majority of Canadians felt that circum¬ stances should decide whether men or women should have custody of chil¬ dren on the breakdown of a marriage, and that 64% of men and 72% of women believed it would make no difference to them whether their boss was male or female. An interesting finding was that although most Canadians of both sexes believed that men and women have equal abilities, they perceived other people to be more chauvinistic than they really are. The tables are clear and the expla¬ nations readable. Appendices give copies of the interview questions (in French and English) and a description of the statistical techniques employed.

Evans, Marilyn. HOW WOMEN CAN GET THE BEST JOBS AND KEEP THEM. Toronto: How Books, 1977. 114 p. $3.25 paperback. ISBN 919684 04 1. If you want to get to the top, you must be ruthless and calculating, use every person and situation to your advantage, and always keep an eye on the main chance. These are the premises underlying this compendium of advice to women who have a singleminded determination to be successful. Except for one brief chapter, the booklet could be addressed to men as well as women. Some useful pointers about job interviews, resumes, running a meeting, etc., are scattered through¬ out an essentially cynical text.

16

SOME CANADIAN WOMEN ARTISTS. Ottawa: National

Graham, Mayo.

Gallery of Canada, 1975.112 p. $7.50. ISBN 0 88884 295 3.

FRINGE BENEFITS. Ottawa: Ad¬ visory Council on the Status of Women, 1976. 16, 16 p. English and French. Free. (The Person Papers) One of the first areas of discrimination to be considered by the Advisory Council was that of fringe benefits. This booklet discusses existing in¬ equities in pension and insurance plans and examines the reasons for the slow progress being made towards equality. A five-point action plan is suggested.

WOMEN OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Saanichton (B.C.):

To celebrate International Women’s Year, the National Gallery of Canada asked Mayo Graham, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art, to put together an exhibition of the work of some Canadian women artists. The artists were to be contemporary women who had not previously ex¬ hibited at the National Gallery. The bilingual illustrated catalogue of the exhibition was later published, the seven artists represented being Mary Pratt, Sherry Grauer, Leslie Reid, Gathie Falk, Colette Whiten, An Whitlock and Shirley Wiitasalo. Graham’s introduction gives the rationale for the all-female exhibition and discusses some distinctive differ¬ ences between male and female artists. Each of the succeeding chapters focuses on the work of an individual artist and includes a brief statement by the artist herself.

Gould, Jan.

Hancock House, 1975. 221 p. $14.95. ISBN 0 919654 42 8. Partly a record of the work of average women and partly a look at the con¬ tributions made by outstanding women, this large, profusely illustrated book attempts to cover the whole history of British Columbia women and their achievements. More suitable for browsing than for systematic study, the book has no recognizable arrangement, shifting from thematic to chronological to membership in pro¬ fessional groups. Scattered throughout are excerpts from old diaries, letters and reminiscences of nurses and lady loggers, homesteaders and tea sippers, missionaries and prostitutes. The book is worth buying for its wealth of old photographs, many of which appear here for the first time. A good biblioography is included.

HEALTH HAZARDS AT WORK. Ottawa: Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1976. 16, 16 p. English and French. Free. (The Person Papers) Health hazards at work is a neglected field of inquiry in Canada. Very little research has been done on the dangers to women, particularly pregnant women. The booklet discusses the four different categories of health hazards— chemical, biological, physical, and mental. It goes on to look at those hazards as they relate to women and concludes by indicating possible means of ameliorating the present situation through political action.

Kohl, Seena W. WORKING TO¬ GETHER: WOMAN AND FAMILY IN SOUTHWESTERN SASKATCH¬ EWAN. Toronto: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1976. 146 p. $5.45 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 03 923369 3. Part of a new series entitled “Family, Kinship, and Marriage,” this book analyses women’s roles in a small prairie town which the author and a

group of other scholars studied for ten years. In a blend of popular narrative and empirical analysis, the volume examines the conflicts and tensions in an agrarian community and the dual role of women as they become involved in household and economic functions. Contrary to expectations, Kohl found that the women were the least con¬ servative component of the com¬ munity. Since the focus is primarily on the pivotal position of women, the findings will be of especial interest to those engaged in the analysis of women’s work and relationships. Also included in the book is an essay on neighbouring Hutterite women, which shows the similarities and dissimilarities between the roles of women in the two communities. This systematic and intensive study provides insights into changing family and sex roles and it can be read by the layperson or the academic student.

of the report treats areas of general concern and is followed by recommen¬ dations for improvement. The major portion of the book is a detailed appendix dealing with each college in turn.

teach, and to share in decision-making in Ontario universities are limited. Appendices give statistical information about each of the fifteen universities in the province. This is a readable study with many worthwhile recommen¬ dations.

Lambie, Catherine and Peter Watson. THE CANADIAN WORKER. Toronto: Nelson, 1974. 48 p. $1.95 paperback. ISBN 0 17 632950 1. Contemporary photographs, repro¬ ductions of newspaper clippings and headlines, graphs and cartoons enliven this brief overview of the Canadian labour movement for junior high school students. One section deals briefly with the participation of women in the labour force and asks why they are often relegated to lower level occupations. At the end of each chapter, the authors build in some interesting discussion motivators.

Lewis, Lesley V. WOMEN AND THE COLLEGES OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY. Toronto: Ministry of Colleges and Universities, 1975. 43, 176 p. (2 sections). $2.50 paperback. Cat. No. 45-1088 (7/75). In response to growing public concern about the status of women in Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Tech¬ nology, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities commissioned a study to form a basis for future action. To ensure a direct line of communication with the project consultant, a liaison person was appointed by each college, and visits were arranged to five rep¬ resentative locations. The first section

McIntyre, Gail and Janice Doherty. WOMEN AND ONTARIO UNIVER¬ SITIES. Toronto: Ministry of Colleges and Universities, 1976. 141 p. $2.50 paperback. Cat. No. 11-2101 (1/76).

THE PRICE OF MATERNITY. Ottawa: Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1977. 16, 16 p. English and French. Free. (The Person Papers)

One out of eight faculty members in Ontario universities is a woman. To determine areas of concern to these women and to female students and support staff, a study was initiated in March 1975. A series of telephone interviews, formal and informal meet¬ ings, and a review of documents pro¬ vided the information base. The book organizes the results of the research about each individual group in turn, and the final chapter sets down con¬ clusions and recommendations. In most instances, findings indicate that opportunities for women to learn, to

This pamphlet in “The Person Papers” series is issued to familiarize women with the laws relating to maternity leave, job security, pre-natal care, etc. It discusses unemployment insurance benefits and suggests changes in leave, social security, homemaking resources, and other areas.

17

Rasmussen, Linda, et al. A HARVEST YET TO REAP: A HISTORY OF PRAIRIE WOMEN.Toronto: Women’s Press, 1976. 240 p. $20.00 cloth, ISBN 0 88961 029 0; $8.95 paper¬ back, ISBN 0 88961 030 5. The parent project of this book was the National Film Board film Great Grandmother (page ), directed by Lorna Rasmussen and Annie Wheeler. In collaboration with Linda Rasmussen and Candace Savage, the two directors of the film created a book with a visual format that remains true to the spirit of the original production. Beautifully designed and richly illustrated with sepia photographs, A Harvest Yet to Reap celebrates the lives and achieve¬ ments of women who survived the rigours of the Canadian frontier. Much of the material is gleaned from con¬ temporary letters, newspapers and magazines, and there are a few inter¬ views with surviving women, with connecting notes placing the accounts in perspective. Arranged in a loose chronological order, the excerpts and photographs show the hope and joy as well as the harsh reality of our foremothers’ lives. The last chapters, re¬ lating the struggle for the vote, capture the drama of the women’s confron¬ tation with narrow-minded politicians. Brief biographies of notable women, an historic timeline, a bibliography and an index complete an impressive and poignant record of the personal stories of the mothers, wives, teachers and community organizers of prairie culture.

Robindaine-Samure, Elise. MATER¬ NITY LEAVE AND BENEFITS. Ottawa: Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1976. 47 p. Free. Subtitled “A Study of Federal Laws and Recent Amendments Concerning Job Security for Pregnant Women and their Entitlement to Maternity Bene¬ fits,” this pamphlet indicates who may receive benefits, the structure of leave and benefits before and after Bill C-16, the amount of the benefits, how to apply for leave and benefits, the similarities and differences between maternity leave and regular employ¬ ment, and the progress which has been made to date. Further recommen¬ dations are made and a province-by¬ province summary of existing laws is supplied. 18

Shack, Sybil. SATURDAY’S STEPCHILDREN: CANADIAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS. Toronto: University of Toronto Guidance Centre, 1977. 186 p $4.95. ISBN 0 7713 0025 5. Based on surveys and several interviews with working women and their employers, Shack’s book brings together a considerable amount of information about the plight of female workers. Because the author deals with such a wide variety of “business” women—from secretaries to salesclerks to executives—her advice is too general to be of much practical use. The problems, opportunities and experi¬ ences of the receptionist are very different from those of the president of a publishing company. Although the book breaks no new ground, it encourages teachers to emphasize the importance of better career counselling for girls. Intended for a high school audience, Saturday’s Stepchildren is readable and occasionally enlivened with caustic humour.

-THE TWO-THIRDS MINORITY. WOMEN IN CANADIAN EDU¬ CATION. Toronto: University of Toronto Guidance Centre, 1973. 128 p. $6.75 hardcover, ISBN 0 7713 0008 5; $3.50 paperback. Well-known educator Sybil Shack takes a look at the women who hold over half the teaching positions in Canadian schools. She finds that many of them have outstanding qualities of imagination, academic excellence and humanity but that the majority still accept the stereotype that their contribution should be limited to the classroom. Dr. Shack blames this attitude partly on women’s conditioning and partly on their own lack of initiative. She foresees a change only when women receive more professional training and when they realize that they can be successful in administrative positions. Though no dramatic changes in conscious¬ ness-raising or hiring policies are advocated, the author’s lucid analysis of the Canadian education scene should inspire women to seek more equality of opportunity.

WOMEN IN CANADIAN EDUCATION. Toronto: Gage, 1976. 95 p. $3.40 paperback. ISBN 0 7715 5075 8. The final lecture in the Quance Lecture Series on Canadian Education is here reprinted in full. Dr. Shack intersperses personal anecdotes and factual data to highlight the reasons why women have often been discriminated against for administrative positions. She finds that the three main reasons for women’s reluctance to apply for promotion are (1) lack of self-confidence, (2) perceived clash with family responsibilities and (3) an unwillingness to become involved with work that promises limited satisfaction. Among possible solutions suggested are (1) training young parents to eliminate sex stereotyping and (2) urging faculties of education to become actively involved in counselling male and female students. This is a concise and lucid analysis by a well-known leader in the edu¬ cation profession.

Vickers, Jill McCalla and June Adam. BUT CAN YOU TYPE? Toronto: Clarke Irwin, 1977. 142 p. $4.50 paperback. ISBN 0 7720 1056 0. The first in a series of monographs dealing with problems facing Canadian universities, But Can You Type? examines the status of women in these institutions. Dr. Adam, a psychology professor at the University of Calgary, was commissioned by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada to prepare a statistical picture of the position of women. Dr. Vickers, a political science professor at Carleton University, adds a commentary and analysis. The three major subjects covered are women as undergraduates, higher education and career oppor¬ tunities, and women in the academic professions in Canada. The authors conclude that universities reflect the general, restrictive attitude of society towards women in professional and public life. To improve the situation they propose a good range of part-time programs with excellent staff, better counselling of university students, and courses which will help women to up¬ date their mathematics and science skills. A challenging and hard-hitting study, written in a factual but readable style, But Can You Type? is an in¬ formed examination of the status of Canadian women in academia.

WHAT NOW? Kit. $2.00. Available from Mary Richards, 1128 Elliott Street, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Intended to assist high school girls in planning their future careers, this kit contains articles, games and a variety of other materials.

WOMEN IN NEED: A SOURCEBOOK. Ottawa: Canadian Council on Social Development, 1977. 100 p. $3.00 paperback. ISBN 0 8810 257 7. About the problems of low-income women who are the economic heads of their families, this book looks at the situation with regard to health services, day care and housing, women and the law, and economic status. It reports on existing policies, programs and services. It is a valuable resource for the most economically vulnerable women, many of whom must, among other things, provide day care out of their meagre incomes.

other things, that the participation of women in the labour force is steadily increasing, that women almost invari¬ ably receive less pay than men, and that, contrary to the popular myth, women have a lower absentee rate than men. Women in the Labour Force is an excellent sourcebook, based on reliable statistical data.

WOMEN S BUREAU, 1974. Ottawa: WOMEN IN THE LABOUR FORCE: FACTS AND FIGURES, 1975. Ottawa: Department of Labour. 315, 317 p. French and English. Cat. No. L 38-30/1975. Largely a compilation of statistics and explanatory analysis, this latest edition of an annual publication presents a tremendous amount of data about working women. The five different aspects covered are: (1) highlights of the labour force, (2) a comparison of the wages of men and women in selected occupations, (3) earnings com¬ pared by level of schooling, age, and selected occupation, (4) working mothers and their children and (5) mis¬ cellaneous data about women in the labour force. The data show among

Information Canada, 1975.106, 110 p. English and French. Free. Cat. No. L 38-28/1975. This is the sixth annual edition of a book published by the Women’s Bureau of the Canadian Department of Labour under the direction of Sylvia Gelber. For women seeking to keep up to date on the position of women in the labour force, the book is a good source of authoritative information. The first chapter amasses facts and statistics showing the gap in wages between men and women; this is followed by a summary of legislation to date. Further chapters deal with different types of discrimination, the position of women in the academic world, and a comparison between the American and Canadian scenes.

19

Day Care DAY CARE: GROWING, LEARNING, CARING. Ottawa: Canadian Council on Social Development, 1973. 56 p. $2.00 paperback. ISBN 0 88810 183 X. The statement contained in this booklet was prepared by the Committee on Day Care Standards of the Canadian Council of Social Development. Briefs and position papers from various people and organizations, together with work¬ ing papers from experts in the field, formed the basis for a set of national guidelines for the development of day-care services in Canada. The guidelines focus on the physical well-being of children and their social, emotional and intellectual development, and on legislation for the adminis¬ tration of day-care services. The book will be useful to parents who want to know what they can expect from day¬ care services, to day-care staff searching for better ways of helping children, and to policy makers responsible for aiding the development of such services.

DAY CARE: REPORTOF A NATIONAL STUDY. Ottawa: Canadian Council on Social Development, 1972. 133 p. $2.50 paperback. ISBN 0 88810 043 4. In 1968, the Canadian Council on Social Development initiated a national study to assist the development of adequate day-care services in Canada. A project staff, assisted by an advisory committee, did a thorough survey of the distribution, organization, staffing and child enrolment facets of day-care centres across Canada. Findings indicated weaknesses in existing programs and an astonishing gap between facilities available and the need for such facilities. The study recommended that day care should be available when needed, without unfair penalties or rewards to the users of the service.

DAY CARE. A RESOURCE FOR THE CONTEMPORARY FAMILY. Ottawa: Canada. Department of Health & Welfare (Available from Information Canada), 1974. 70, 71 p. French and English. Free. Cat. No. H 76-23/1974. These papers and proceedings of a day-care seminar which took place in Ottawa in September 1969 were published in 1974. A chapter summarizing the proceedings is followed by papers on the family in contemporary society and the effects of early childhood experiences, an overview of Canadian day-care services, and suggested new directions for day care. These readable papers by acknowledged experts give much authoritative information and many worthwhile suggestions.

DAT CARE A RESOURCE FOR THE

DAY CARE. Kit. Distributed by National Day Care Infor¬ mation Centre. Social Allowances and Services Branch, Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1B5. Free. This kit is comprised of five folders, each containing several papers in English and French. Titles of the folders are: “Children with Special Needs,” “Facilities and Equip¬ ment,” “Nutrition,” “Other Countries” and “Staff Train¬ ing.” All papers are written by experts in the field and contain much useful theoretical and practical information for those involved in day-care programs. 20

DAY CARE: GUIDE TO READING. Ottawa: Health and Well are Canada, 1975. 167 p. Free. This extensive bibliography on various subjects of general interest in the field of day-care services was completed for International Women’s Year. There are sections on the organization and administration of day care, parent involve¬ ment, evaluation of services, staffing, and health and nutrition programs. Magazine articles and books listed are mainly from American and Canadian sources. A special Canachana section is appended, with all the authors listed alphabetically.

STATUS OF DAY CARE IN CANADA 1977. Ottawa: Health and Welfare Canada, 1977. 11, 11 p. English and French. Free.

Krashinsky, Michael. DAY CARE AND PUBLIC POLICY IN ONTARIO. Published for the Ontario Economic Council by University of Toronto Press, 1977. 140 p. $6.50 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 8020 3349 0. Krashinsky recommends that instead of providing subsidies to day-care centres, the government should allow parents to deduct such expenses from their income taxes. His con¬ clusions are based on two major contentions: (1) subsidized day care is expensive and likely to become more so; (2) sur¬ veys of parents whose children are placed in informal neighbourhood centres indicate that such arrangements are considered to be quite satisfactory. He also argues that lowincome mothers should be encouraged to stay home with their children. If followed, the author’s recommendations would be economically efficient; whether they would be socially desirable is another matter.

In 1971 the Canadian Assistance Plan Directorate of the Department of National Health and Welfare conducted a national survey of day-care services in Canada, to serve as a base from which to evaluate such services in the future. The study has been updated yearly, using the same questionnaire. Findings for 1977 indicate that little change occurred in day-care services during that year. The rate of growth had been decreasing steadily since 1974, but 1977 was the First year in which there was an actual decrease of 2.24% in day-care spaces from the previous year.

21

HEALTH and

FITNESS

HEALTH AND FITNESS performed in other countries. Also included is information about Canadian residents who obtained therapeutic abortions abroad, counts of provincial hospitals that have therapeutic com¬ mittees, and demographic and medical data on patients who obtained abor¬ tions. The book is of primary interest to researchers.

Cochrane, Jean; Abby Hoffman; and Pat Kincaid. WOMEN IN CANADIAN LIFE: SPORTS. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1977. 96 p. $2.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88902 376 X. Balakrishnan, T.R. and J.F. Kantner. FERTILITY AND FAMILY PLAN¬ NING IN A CANADIAN METROP¬ OLIS. Montreal: McGill University Press, 1975. 240 p. $14.50. ISBN 0 7735 0204 1. The First substantial study of the repro¬ ductive behaviour and attitudes of Canadian women was conducted in Metropolitan Toronto in 1968. The basic information, collected through interviews with 1,632 wives living with their husbands, is here presented and analysed in a thorough and systematic way. Many factors are examined in relation to how the women arrived at their idea of the acceptable number of children and to why so many did not achieve the ideal. In general, women overwhelmingly endorsed birth control and were relatively tolerant of abor¬ tion. When factors associated with fertility were studied, it was found that the most important was the woman’s employment status, full-time employment being more negatively related to fertility than any other variable. For a sizable number of women, the last child was unwanted. This is a useful sourcebook for students of population and related topics.

Bennett, Judy et al. DISCOVERING LIFE SKILLS FOR WOMEN. Toronto: Y.W.C.A., 1976. 274 p. $12.50 paper¬ back. At last there is an excellent manual outlining a comprehensive training regime for the creation of a program of life skills for women. Instructions

are clear, activities are well described, and a sensible physical fitness routine is mapped out. Individuals, small groups, and physical training teachers will find the book useful as a self-help guide or a teaching tool. Removable pages enhance its usefulness in indi¬ vidual situations.

BIRTH PLANNING. Ottawa: Ad¬ visory Council on the Status of Women, 1976. 16, 16 p. English and French. Free. (The Person Papers) In 1974, there were 48,198 therapeutic abortions reported in Canada and a total of 51,479 cases of venereal disease. According to the booklet, part of the reason for these high figures is the lack of adequate and reliable birth control information. Various methods of birth control are described and suggestions made for possible education programs. A list of recommendations for government action and changes in legislation concludes the discussion.

One of a new series, “Women in Canadian Life,” this volume explores the history of Canadian women in sports and debunks many of the myths that have limited their participation. Profusely illustrated with photographs and cartoons, the book goes back to Greek and Roman times to discover the root causes for the exclusion of women from many athletic activities. Sports in early Canada are then examined, while later chapters focus on the gradual emergence of women champions, e.g., The Edmonton Grads, Marilyn Bell, Nancy Greene, and com¬ petitors in the 1976 Olympics. Ques¬ tions, suggested activities, and lists of recommended Canadian readings follow each chapter.

Canada. Bureau of Statistics. THERA¬ PEUTIC ABORTIONS. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services, 1977. 71 p. $2.10 paperback. Cat. No. CS82-211/1975. This edition of an annual publication presents data on therapeutic abortions reported in Canada in 1975, Canadian statistics on births and female deaths, and comparable statistics on abortions 23

Findlay, Eleanor and Margaret Capes. TODAY YOU ARE PREGNANT. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1967. 1 10 p. $4.95. ISBN 0 7710 3153 X. Dulude, Louise. ABORTION IN CANADA. Ottawa: Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1975. 26 p. Free.

_____—-.———.

The purpose of this paper is to review and dis¬ cuss the recommendations on abortion made by five bodies: The Royal Commission on the Status of Women, the Ontario Status of Women Council, the Quebec Status of Women Council, the Saskatchewan Council on the Status of Women, and the Federal Advisory Council on the Status of Women. For purposes of com¬ parison, a description of France’s new abortion law is included. The findings indicated that all live bodies hold similar positions on the sub¬ ject—that each woman should have the right to decide whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.

Here is a total program to prepare expectant mothers for a happy preg¬ nancy and relaxed childbirth. Writing in chronological sequence from the earliest stages of pregnancy to pre¬ natal exercises, the authors give re¬ assurance, information, and practical advice on exercise, relaxation and hygiene. The style is conversational, and the step-by-step explanations are easy to follow. Diagrams and drawings supplement the text. The authors are qualified physiotherapists who have taught pre-natal classes at Catherine Booth Hospital in Montreal for many years.

The reader will be pleased to discover that, in spite of its title, this is not a strident attack on doctors and health care services. Instead, the author succinctly and clearly guides the pregnant parent through the main problem areas in pregnancy and child¬ birth. Among other things, she explains how to choose pre-natal classes, how to find a nutritionist, and how to choose a suitable doctor. It is an excellent book from all standpoints, written by a sympathetic and knowl¬ edgeable woman.

24

1.

“

In this collection of six essays, a pro¬ life group within the Anglican Church of Canada presents religious and moral arguments on the subject of abortion. Individual essays discuss the rights of the unborn child, the theological basis for the anti-abortionist position, and the church’s age-old reverence for life at all stages. Arguments are frequently backed by research findings. The essays are too short to do more than scratch the surface of the topic, but they pro¬ vide discussion material on this contro¬ versial subject.

1

Fairweather, Eugene and Ian Gentles eds. THE RIGHT TO BIRTH: SOME CHRISTIAN VIEWS ON ABORTION. Toronto: Anglican Book Centre, 1976. 76 p. $2.75 paperback. ISBN 0 919030 14 9.

'

Elkins, Valmai Howe. THE RIGHTS OF THE PREGNANT PARENT. Ottawa: Waxwing Publications, 1976. 128 p. $4.95 paperback. ISBN 0 919988 03 2.

.■1 ■

—

•St

_WHAT EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HYSTERECTOMY. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1977. 228 p. $8.95. ISBN 0 88902 421 9. It is generally accepted that many of the hysterectomies performed in Canada are unnecessary. In his usual straightforward, popular style, GiffordJones examines the subject and answers the questions that his own patients have asked him, over the years, on the subject. He points out situations where the operation is unnecessary and advises women to question the desirability of having surgery before submitting blindly to it. Gifford-Jones also explains the operation itself and its aftereffects, as well as exploding old wives’ tales still widely believed. A readable and reassuring book about a subject of concern to women.

Frank, Kathy, comp. THE ANTI¬ PSYCHIATRY BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCE GUIDE. Vancouver: Press Gang, 1977. 200 p. $8.50 cloth, ISBN 0 99074 008 9; $3.75 paperback, ISBN 0 88974 006 2. The anti-psychiatry movement em¬ braces two schools of thought—British anti-psychiatry and American radical therapy. The British school focuses mainly on the role of the family, while the American school emphasizes the oppressive nature of society. This much-expanded version of a bibli¬ ography compiled by Frank in 1964 brings together about 1,000 anno¬ tations of books and articles from both these schools and has added listings of works on special issues, e.g. women, homosexuals and ethnic groups. Explanatory essays and a guide to helpful agencies are included.

Gifford-Jones, W. ON BEING A WOMAN. Rev. ed. Toronto: McClel¬ land and Stewart, 1973. 264 p. $7.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7710 4457 7; $3.95 paperback, ISBN 0 7710 4459 3. A common criticism of medical hand¬ books is that they are either too technical for the average layperson or too general to be of much practical use. On Being a Woman avoids these two pitfalls. A readable and comprehensive handbook, it explains the functioning of the female body and discusses illnesses suffered by women. As Dr. Gifford-Jones explains in the intro¬ duction, the book is aimed at dispelling anxiety and providing an objective factual guide that can be used by intelligent and inquiring women as a supplement to their doctors’ advice. In a frank and forthright manner, it covers birth control, abortion, aging, cancer and many other subjects. Since its publication in 1973, however, there has come to light new evidence that will challenge the author’s advocacy of the prolonged use of birth control and estrogen pills.

Green, Deirdre E. et al., comp. WOMEN AND PSYCHOACTIVE DRUG USE: AN INTERIM ANNO¬ TATED BIBLIOGRAPHY. Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation, 1976. 177 p. $3.00 paperback. ISBN 0 88868 018 X. Prepared with the help of a grant from the Non-medical Use of Drugs Direc¬ torate in Ottawa, this bibliography covers English-language materials pub¬ lished during the period 1948-1975. It includes research studies dealing with alcohol, licit and illicit drug use, the portrayal of women in drug advertise¬ ments, implications of drug ingestion during pregnancy, and methods of treating drug addiction in women. Annotations are concise and thorough. Cross-references are plentiful, and there are three indexes—title, key word, and “type of document.” The complete set of articles may be obtained on microfiche for $110.00.

25

Pearson, Mary. BACKGROUND NOTES ON FAMILY PLANNING, CONCEPTION AND BIRTH CON¬ TROL. Ottawa: Advisory Council on

Hilliard, Marion. WOMEN AND FATIGUE. Toronto: Totem Books, 1975. 172 p. $1.75 paperback. ISBN 000 211591 3.

the Status of Women, 1975. 50p. Free. Marion Hilliard was Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Women’s Col¬ lege Hospital in Toronto for a number of years. In answer to many requests, she began to write this book, the notes for which were pieced together after her death. She discusses the medical and social reasons for fatigue as it relates to adolescence, pregnancy and menopause, as well as the special problems of the career woman, the young wife and the hard-pressed mother. Among the remedies suggested are plenty of rest and avoidance of stress. Though the author’s view of women’s roles is essentially conserva¬ tive, the book, written in a popular style with many personal anecdotes, contains some sensible advice for women of all ages.

McKay, Heather and Jack Batten.

HEATHER McKAY’S COMPLETE BOOK OF SQUASH. Toronto: Macmillan, 1977. 143 p. $5.95 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 7705 1582 7. The foremost squash player in the world teams up with writer Jack Batten to produce a book full of valuable pointers for the beginner and the more experienced squash player. Commencing with a history of the game and of McKay’s career, the book goes on to discuss the rules of the game and the various strokes and plays. Several drills are outlined in detail as well as conditioning exercises and suggestions for court safety. As well as a history and description of the game, the book gives biographical information and conveys McKay’s enthusiasm for squash. It could be an inspiration to the amateur player. 26

MacLennan, Anne, ed. WOMEN: THEIR USE OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER LEGAL DRUGS. Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario, 1976. 144 p. $5.00 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 88868 017 1. Late in 1975, twenty-seven women with special interests or experience in the field of addictions met to discuss women’s problems in relation to alcohol and legal drugs. The highlights of that meeting are reported here. In¬ cluded are five working papers that were presented to the participants before the consultation and served as catalysts for discussion. Two papers deal with women in society and the inadequacies of our health care system; three focus on women and their use of legal drugs. The papers are followed by a summary of the discussions and a list of twelve recommendations that were formulated at the meeting and dis¬ tributed to various health, social ser¬ vice and educational bodies in Ontario and Canada. Since it brings together some important research focused entirely on women, the book will be of interest not only to sociologists but to the general reader.

The author of this paper discusses the involvement of the provinces and terri¬ tories in birth control and some of the problems still to be resolved. The report indicates the desirability of more government involvement, the need for sex education in schools, and the advisability of a change in the age of consent laws.

Pelrine, Eleanor Wright. ABORTION IN CANADA. New updated ed. Toronto: New Press, 1972. 153 p. $1.50 paperback. ISBN 0 88770 074 8. Abortion is an emotionally-charged issue, and objective books about it are rare. At the outset, Pelrine states her bias in favour of freedom of choice for the individual woman and her right to have a medically safe abortion if she wishes. In this context, the author’s purpose is to provide infor¬ mation on the medical, legal and social aspects of abortion. Quoting from articles and interviews, Pelrine also spotlights the anger and concern felt by many women. A new final chapter in this edition brings the reader up to date, as of 1972, on the Canadian situation following the passage of the 1969 legislation. Appendices contain the results of two surveys conducted by the author, one about abortion practices in Canadian hospitals and one about the attitudes and experiences of Canadian professional women. This is a readable, well-argued plea for the pro-abortionist case.

Schlesinger, Benjamin. FAMILY PLANNING IN CANADA. A SOURCE BOOK. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1974. 291 p. $12.50 cloth, ISBN 0 8020 2160 3; $3.95 paperback, ISBN 0 8020 6253 9. The importance of family planning has become more evident in recent years. In order to provide access to infor¬ mation on the subject, the editor of this volume of Canadian readings has

collected 33 selections by doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists and social workers. Beginning with an over¬ view of family planning from medical, sociological and women’s rights view¬ points, the essays go on to deal with the roles of professionals and volun¬ teers and to discuss the points of view expressed in reports such as that of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. Sections on contraception and abortion are informative and fair. In the case of abortion, both points of view are presented. An entire section deals with adolescents and young adults. In general, this is a readable book which should be useful in com¬ munity colleges, universities and inservice training courses. A special Re¬ sources section includes a glossary of terms, an annotated bibliography of Canadian articles, a list of basic paperbacks, and the addresses of relevant agencies.

work for non-sexist psychiatry and give some suggestions for improved therapy for women. A reader might wish for more analysis and more de¬ tailed presentation of alternatives. On the whole, however, the book is a thought-provoking look at the realities of psychiatric treatment for women. It will be read by patients, professional psychiatric workers and consciousnessraising groups.

Wilson, Renate. FOR THE LOVE OF SPORT: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS OF YOUNG ATHLETES. Vancouver: J.J. Douglas, 1975. 219 p. $10.95 cloth, ISBN 0 88894 076 9; $5.95 paperback, ISBN 0 88894 069 6. Washbourn, Penelope. BECOMING

WOMAN: THE QUEST FOR WHOLE¬ NESS IN FEMALE EXPERIENCE. Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1977. 174 p. $9.40. ISBN 0 06 069259 6.

Smith, Dorothy and Sara David, eds.

WOMEN LOOK AT PSYCHIATRY. Vancouver: Press Gang, 1975. 208 p. $10.50 cloth, ISBN 0 88974 001 1; $4.50 paperback,ISBN 0 88974 000 3. Two women practising in the mental illness field have produced this collec¬ tion of essays and personal narratives presenting a feminist analysis of psychiatry. The articles powerfully suggest that sex stereotyping is very prominent in the treatment of women patients. Personal accounts by patients indicate the oppressive and destructive nature of psychiatry as applied to women and the need for the therapist to take into account the patient’s life circumstances as well as her behaviour. The editors provide a theoretical frame¬

Becoming Woman inevitably invites comparison with Gail Sheehy’s recent best-selling book, Passages. Although the books differ in scope and treat¬ ment, they both identify crisis points in adult experience and suggest methods of coping with them. To check out her theory of certain de¬ finable growth and transition stages in adulthood, Sheehy interviews 115 educated middle-class men and women. Washbourn identifies ten crisis points in female experience, and in each case she suggests alternative methods of handling the crisis: the positive method leading to self-knowledge and personal growth and the negative method leading to self-limitation. In a com¬ bination of philosophical analyses and personal reminiscences, she makes a plea for the recognition of these crisis points as inevitable developmental sequences. Sheehy’s case-study tech¬ nique makes for lively reading; Washbourn’s sober analysis and philo¬ sophical theorizing will intimidate the average reader.

Writing from firsthand experience as a mother of three young athletes, journalist Renate Wilson dispenses sensible advice to parents of children involved in organized sports. She shows how to find the sport that fits the child and gives sound suggestions on the physiology and psychology of athletic performance, as well as on diet, cost of equipment, and travelling. A chapter on sports for the handi¬ capped and an appendix of information on Canadian sports are included. The author criticizes schools and univer¬ sities for devoting so much time and attention to sports for boys only; and she deplores the social pressures which deter women from excelling in athletic activities. A plea is made for judging women on their own accomplishments rather than setting them up in oppo¬ sition to men.

Young, Connie. SEX, SEXUALITY AND OUR CHANGING SOCIETY. Toronto: University of Toronto Guid¬ ance Centre, 1975. 60 p. $2.50. A former counsellor at a youth clinic in Ontario has compiled a brief book¬ let of advice to teenagers about sexuality, sex roles and contraception. Throughout the book, the emphasis is on honesty and personal responsi¬ bility in individual relationships. One section gives information about the various methods of contraception and discusses venereal disease and abortion Clear and non-sexist, this is a useful book for teenagers in the difficult years of adolescence. 27

WOMEN AND ADVERTISING: TO¬ DAY’S MESSAGES-YESTERDAY’S IMAGES? Toronto: Canadian Adver¬ tising Board, 1977. 30 p. $2.00 paper¬ back. In 1976 The Canadian Advertising Board set up a task force to examine the content and nature of advertising to and about women. Their object was to spotlight the nature and extent of any problems and to provide sugges¬ tions for improvement. A study was initiated, and presentations were re¬ ceived from individuals and groups. Some obvious problem areas were not considered, for example, the advertising of feminine hygiene products on tele¬ vision. The results of the study indi¬ cated that “liberated” advertising is likely to be more effective than traditional advertising, but the follow¬ up recommendations of the task force are essentially bland and conservative. Clearly there is a need for a thorough study on the subject of women and advertising, but the opportunity was missed in this case.

28

BIOGRAPHY

Allison, Susan. A PIONEER GENTLE¬

Armstrong,

WOMAN IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: THE RECOLLECTIONS OF SUSAN ALLISON. Vancouver: University of

Dent, 1976. 217 p. $9.95. ISBN 0 460 91698 X.

Alvin. FLORA MacDONALD. Don Mills, Ontario:

British Columbia Press, 1976. 210 p. $19.30 cloth, ISBN 0 7748 0052 6; $7.95 paperback, ISBN 0 7748 0039 9. At the age of fourteen, Susan Moir went with her family to Hope, B.C., where she later helped her mother to open the first school. In 1868 she married John Allison from the Similkameen Valley and rode with him on her honeymoon over the treacherous trail (now known as the Allison Trail) into the largely unsettled land where he made his home. Her recollections of the journey and of pioneer life in a district where the nearest white neigh¬ bour was forty miles away were recorded by Mrs. Allison when she was eighty years old. Twice the Allison home was destroyed, once by fire and once by flood. Disease and crop failures struck, too, but Mrs. Allison never regretted going to Similkameen. She learned the language of the local Indians, came to understand and admire them, and recorded some of their lore in an appendix to her book. An intro¬ duction and an extensive appendix by Dr. Margaret Ormsby relate Mrs. Allison’s account to the history of British Columbia and identify people she met and places she visited.

Anahareo. DEVIL IN DEERSKINS: MY LIFE WITH GREY OWL. Mark¬ ham, Ontario: Paperjacks, 1975. $1.95 paperback. ISBN 0 7737 7106 9. When the Mohawk Indian girl Anahareo met Archie Belaney (now better known as Grey Owl) she was an inde¬ pendent, high-spirited eighteen-yearold. She married the eccentric, often difficult Belaney in an Indian cere¬ mony and journeyed with him to the wilderness, where they lived by hunt¬ ing, fishing and odd jobs. From the start, theirs was an unusual marriage. Sometimes together and sometimes separately, they went on long hunting and trapping expeditions. At intervals, Anahareo even went prospecting. It was she who persuaded her husband to keep and nurture two beaver cubs, an act which eventually led to his abandonment of trapping and his life¬ long interest in conservation and animal study. Anahareo talks about the birth of her daughter, recalls Grey 30

Many will enjoy this biography of the Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands. In a readable, jour¬ nalistic style, Armstrong touches on Flora’s childhood in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, and on the major mile¬ stones in her career, including her early organizational work for the Progressive Conservative Party, her election to Parliament, and her efforts in 1976 to become leader of the party For source material he relies heavily on Flora’s letters and speeches. Though there is little critical comment or political analysis, this is a readable biography of an able and highly respected politician. Several illus¬ trations and a good index are included

Owl’s first efforts at writing and lecturing, and discusses their eventual decision to separate. Most people will enjoy reading about this unusual couple and their turbulent marriage. Several photographs of the subjects, their pets, and wilderness scenes are included.

Angus, Terry and Shirley White.

CANADIANS ALL: PORTRAITS OF OUR PEOPLE. Agincourt, Ontario: Methuen, 1976. 112 p. $3.50 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 458 91270 0. Canadians All is a collection of twenty brief biographical sketches of people who have, through their lives and achievements, contributed to this nation’s heritage. The people selected are from the past and the present, from all parts of Canada, and from all walks of life. Ten are women, among whom are Marie-Ann Gaboury, Joni Mitchell and Charlotte Whitton. Each biography is preceded by a full-page portrait and followed by questions and a list of suggested readings. Designed for adolescent readers, the book is useful chiefly as a compendium of facts.

Bassett, John M. and A. Roy Petrie.

LAURA SECORD. Don Mills,Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1974. 64 p. $2.25 paperback. ISBN 0 88902 202 X. Bassett sketches the story of the legendary Laura Secord, who eluded American sentries on her twenty-mile walk through swamp, brush and farm¬ land to warn British troops about a proposed American attack during the War of 1812. As a result of her warn¬ ing, the Americans were repulsed, thus giving Canada time to rearm and defend its borders. As well as telling Laura’s story, the book describes aspects of life in Upper Canada at the time. Copious sketches, many by J.J. Jeffreys, illustrate the text. Like the other books in “The Canadians” series for young people, Laura Secord con¬ tains questions for discussion and a brief bibliography.

Bassett, John M. ELIZABETH SIMCOE: FIRST LADY OF UPPER CANADA. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1974. 64 p.

Berton, Laura. I MARRIED THE KLONDIKE. Rev. ed. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1972. 269 p. $3.95 paperback.ISBN0 7710 1240 3.

$2.25 paperback. ISBN 0 88902 204 6. In 1782 Elizabeth Gwillim married John Simcoe. She was sixteen and he was thirty. Nine years later Simcoe was appointed Governor General of Upper Canada. This book, based on Mrs. Simcoe’s own diaries, is chiefly about the five years the Simcoes spent in Canada. It touches briefly on Mrs. Simcoe’s travels in the new country, her role as the Governor’s wife, and life on the Canadian frontier. A picture emerges of a remarkable woman, who always enjoyed new experiences and was seldom daunted by hardships or dangers. She was impressed by the Indians she came in contact with. “When they speak,” she said, “they resemble what I imagine the Greek and Roman orators must have been.” En¬ livened by a number of sketches and tracings by Mrs. Simcoe herself, the book is one of “The Canadians” series for young people. A brief bibliography is included.

Benham, Mary Lile. NELLIE McCLUNG. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1975. 64 p. $2.25 paperback. ISBN 0 88902 219 4. Another book in “The Canadians” series designed to introduce children to their country’s heroes and heroines, Nellie McClung is the story of the colourful idealist, novelist, feminist, and temperance worker. Quoting freely from Nellie’s speeches and writings, Benham recounts Nellie’s battle for the vote for Manitoba women, her later election to the Edmonton Legis¬ lative Assembly, and her continuing crusade for female equality. Written in clear, concise English, using a vocabu¬ lary suited to the intended audience, the book is amply illustrated with con¬ temporary photographs. A short epi¬ logue assesses the progress of women’s rights since McClung’s death in 1951. The bibliography lists McClung’s six¬ teen published works and a few other sources.

The autobiography of Laura Berton, mother of Pierre Berton, records life in Dawson City after the Gold Rush. Mrs. Berton went to Dawson City in 1907 to take up a post as kindergarten teacher and lived there for twentyfive years. She gives a lucid, often humorous, account of pioneering life and the cabin fever that can result from living at too close quarters in a cold and isolated place. A good general interest book with a sense of immediacy, it captures and holds the reader’s attention.

Bird, Florence. ANNE FRANCIS, AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Toronto: Clarke Irwin, 1974. 324 p. $8.95. ISBN 0 7720 0719 5. Anne Francis is the pen name of Florence Bird, journalist, broadcaster, factfinder, and defender of the under¬ dog. Chosen by Lester Pearson to head the Royal Commission on the Status of Women, she delivered a report which is a model of clarity and wisdom. Born of a wealthy Philadelphia family, she came to live in Canada in 1930, after her marriage to newspaperman John Bird. During the Depression she wrote reviews, did welfare work, and became Anne Francis, columnist for the Winnipeg Tribune. Working with women during the war confirmed her conviction that their traditional weak¬ ness and passivity were the results of circumstances, not genes. Her account of her life and work will fascinate the reader. A unique Canadian and a good role model for girls and women, Florence Bird received well-deserved recognition for her high qualities when she was made, in April 1978, a member of the Senate of Canada. Her book is a must for anyone interested in women’s studies.

Bolger, Francis P. THE YEARS BE¬ FORE “ANNE.” Charlottetown: Heri¬ tage Foundation, 1974. 233 p. $8.95 cloth; $4.95 paperback. On the centenary of the birth of Lucy Maud Montgomery, Francis P. Bolger, an authority on the history of Prince Edward Island, wrote this biography as a tribute to the island’s most famous writer. As the title implies, the emphasis is on the years before the publication of Anne of Green Gables. After a brief summary of Mont¬ gomery’s background, her early life in Prince Edward Island and her one-year stay in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Bolger allows his subject to speak for herself. No doubt researchers will be interested in the extensive quotations from old literary scrapbooks, the hitherto unpublished poems, and the long sequence of letters written from Prince Albert to an old friend in Prince Edward Island. For the average reader, the literary outpourings are somewhat trite and the letters a record of trivialities—day-to-day small talk, complaints about the dull life, and her longing for P.E.I. Mont¬ gomery’s later life and achievements are summed up in an epilogue. The format is uninviting, with numerous badly reproduced photographs and footnotes scattered throughout the text.

Buck, Ruth Matheson. THE DOCTOR RODE SIDE-SADDLE. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1974. 175 p. $8.95. ISBN 07710 1735 9. This straightforward biography of Elizabeth Matheson, one of Canada’s first woman doctors, was written by the subject’s daughter. To get a licence to practise medicine was difficult for women some eighty years 31

ago, even when they had successfully completed their medical studies. Eliza¬ beth persevered, however, married missionary John Matheson, and from 1891 to 1918 worked with her husband at the Indian mission and hospital at Onion Lake in Northern Saskatchewan. She taught at the mission school, reared nine children, and struggled to gain the trust of the Cree Indians, who

finally gave her the title of “medicine woman.” Medical supplies and equip¬ ment at the mission were primitive in nature. In one harrowing incident, the doctor had to amputate an Indian man’s leg without any anesthetic—an ordeal which both doctor and patient stoically endured. This story of grit and endurance is effective in evoking the life and world of a remarkable pioneer woman.

Burnford, Sheila. ONE WOMAN’S ARCTIC. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1973. 122 p. $7.95. ISBN 0 7710 1825 8.

Campbell, Maria. HALFBREED. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1973. 157 p. $8.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7710 8330 0; $3.95 paperback, ISBN 0 7710 8331 9. “I want to tell you what it is like to be a halfbreed woman in our country, about the joys and the sorrows, the oppressing poverty, the frustration, and the dreams ... I am not bitter. I have passed that stage. I only want to say; ‘This is what it was like; this is what it is still like’.” These are the words of Maria Campbell, a halfbreed Indian woman who grew up in a Mdtis community in northern Sas¬ katchewan. She graphically depicts the hardships and scorn she and her family endured, though their love for one another and for the outdoors more than compensated for the bad times. More than any other person, her

Author Sheila Burnford went to Pond Inlet on Baffin Island “just to be there,” and this book recounts her observations of Eskimo life. No detailed personality studies are given, but the patience, tolerance and adaptability of the people are obvious throughout. Burnford is deeply concerned about the effects of modern technology on this remote outpost, though she is hopeful that the Eskimos’ traditional resilience and capacity for survival will eventually prevail. Her auth¬ entic rendition of the sights, sounds and customs of the Arctic and her warm affection for the Eskimo people provide interesting and entertaining reading. Her history of the area and her description of the children and their games are valuable as source materials.

V

-WITHOUT RESERVE. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1974. 242 p. $7.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7710 1799 5; Markham, Ontario: Paperjacks, 1974. $1.75 paperback, ISBN 0 7737 7060 7. Author Sheila Burnford and artist Susan Ross spent a few months on the remote northern reserves of the Cree and Ojibway in northwestern Ontario, “not to exhort, teach, heal, snoop, pay, or persuade, but only out of a friendly interest in unfamiliar people.” The result is a fresh and spontaneous account of camping, wild-rice hunting, and other activities in which the two visitors shared. The book also provides some insights into the problems of old Indian customs coming into conflict with new world values. Susan Ross’s sketches add charm to this volume. The relaxed text, if not strictly autobiographical, does shed light on the character of this well-known author of children’s books. 32

beloved grandmother Cheecham en¬ couraged Maria to have pride in herself and her people. Later chapters, telling of Maria’s flight to the city and her gradual descent into drug addiction and prostitution, tend to pale in com¬ parison with her account of life with her own people. With strength drawn from recollections of her grandmother, she finally makes her way back to society and has since written several books about Indian legend and lore.

Carr, Emily. THE BOOK OF SMALL. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1966 (c 1942). 168 p. $2.95 paperback. ISBN 0 7720 02233 1. The Book of Srnall is a series of autobiographical sketches of Emily Carr’s childhood and family life in Victoria, B.C., at the end of the nineteenth century. With quick, sure brushstrokes and dramatic simplicity, she paints a world as seen through the eyes of a child. The second half of the book is an interesting account of Victoria, its people, and its surroundings at the turn of the century. Its clear, concise style and rich descriptive anecdotes make the book suitable for young people.

_GROWING PAINS: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF EMILY CARR. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1966. 381 p. $3.50 paperback. ISBN 0 7720 0219 3.

Casgrain, Thdrese. A WOMAN IN A MAN’S WORLD: MEMOIRS. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1973. 192 p. $8.95. ISBN 0 7710 1915 7. Born of an influential French-Canadian family (her father was the first presi¬ dent of the Montreal Stock Exchange), Madame Therese Casgrain married a Quebec lawyer who later served as a federal M.P. and finally as a provincial judge. Not content with a life of easy leisure and social activity, Madame Casgrain became a staunch advocate of

Written with clarity of thought in a series of significant sketches, this autobiography reveals the author as a woman of complex character, always an artist and always a Canadian. It treats the period of her girlhood in British Columbia, her years of struggle and rejection by the Canadian public, and the years of despair when she ceased to paint. Through the influence of the Group of Seven, especially Lawren Harris, she received eventual recognition. Often powerful and provocative, though occasionally coy and affected in style, Growing Pains yet lacks the charm and directness of The Book of Small or Klee Wyck. A frontispiece and six full-colour reproductions of the author’s paintings are included.

_KLEE WYCK. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1941. 111 p. $2.95 paperback. ISBN 0 7720 0194 4. Called Klee Wyck, or “Laughing One,” by her Indian friends, Emily Carr here recounts her experiences with west coast Indians as she painted their countryside and villages. Her precise, often evocative writing captures the exact mood, and her word sketches are startling in their vividness— as when she describes the Indian houses looking “as though they had been shaken out of a dice box on the land and stayed just where they lit.” Her strong and instinctive sympathy with the Indian people is evident throughout the book, which is often warm and humorous and sometimes touched with tragedy. Klee Wyck won the Governor General’s Award for General Literature in 1942.

feminine rights and civil liberty. In 1941 she was president of La Ligue des Droits de la Femme. She later organized the Consumer Branch of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board and was the first woman in Canada to lead a political party—the Quebec wing of the C.C.F. She also served Canada as a member of the Senate. This account of her fifty years of involvement in the social and political events in Canada is told in a clear and flowing style, with many vivid recollections of such notables as Emily Murphy, Mackenzie King and Maurice Duplessis. Originally published under the title Une Femme Chez LesHommes, this landmark auto¬ biography is well translated by Joyce Marshall. 33

Creighton, Helen. HELEN CREIGH¬ TON: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FOLKLORIST. Toronto: McGrawHill, 1975. 210 p. $8.95. ISBN 0 07 082241 7. The author of several books of Mari¬ time folklore gives a lively and readable account of her life as a folklorist. Her work in World War I, especially on the occasion of the Halifax explosion, fostered a determination to continue a career rather than settle down to the domestic life expected of her. Her early efforts to collect Maritime folk¬ lore seem incredible today. Armed only with pencil and paper, she cajoled, persuaded, and knocked on doors in her efforts to get people to sing songs for her Songs and Ballads of Nova Scotia. Later on she made the wonder¬ fully convenient transition to tape recorders and dictaphones. Plagued by ill health for most of her life, Creighton is all the more remarkable for her cheerfulness and tenacity.

Cutler, Ebbitt. I ONCE KNEW AN INDIAN WOMAN. Montreal: Tundra Books, 1975. 69 p. $1.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88776 068 6. As a young girl in the 1920s, Ebbitt Cutler spent many summer holidays with her family in a small Laurentian village about a hundred miles from Montreal. Her warm and humorous reminiscences of those summers, and especially of the old Indian woman Madame Dey, were originally published in 1967 under the title The Last Noble Savage and are here reprinted in full. Referred to contemptuously as “la vieille sauvage,” Madame Dey was the widow of the happy-go-lucky French

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Crosbie, John S. THE INCREDIBLE MRS. CHADWICK: THE MOST NOTORIOUS WOMAN OF HER AGE. Scarborough, Ontario: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1975. 256 p. $7.95 cloth, ISBN 07 082194 1; Markham, Ontario: Paperjacks, 1976. $1.95 paperback, ISBN 0 7737 7138 7. Cassie Chadwick, originally Bessey Bagley, was born in a small town in rural Ontario in 1857. At thirteen she left home and took part in a few commonplace frauds in Ontario towns and cities. Soon she moved to the United States, where she made a career as a big-time con artist. Crosbie writes a lively account of this rake’s progress from early small-town forgeries to enormously daring swindles. Married three times, Chadwick easily duped her husbands, as well as numerous other people and institutions, before her final arrest and conviction. One particularly daring escapade involved posing as the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie. Written from news¬ paper accounts and illustrated with several photographs, The Incredible Mrs. Chadwick is an interesting book.

34

Dempsey, Lotta. NO LIFE FOR A LADY. Don Mills, Ontario: Musson Books, 1976. 207 p. $10.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7737 0029 3; Markham, Ontario: Paperjacks, 1977. $1.95 paperback, ISBN 0 7701 0018 X. The life in question is that of a journal¬ ist, and the lady eventually became a feature writer and columnist for the Toronto Star. At the age of eighteen, Lotta went to work for the Edmonton Journal and later, with the proceeds from a bonus from another Edmonton newspaper, The Bulletin, she left Alberta and set out for Toronto. This is a record of her exciting travels, adventures, and misadventures. Scat¬ tered throughout are lively sketches of numerous people, from Emily Murphy to the Duke of Windsor to Pierre Trudeau. Lotta seems to have been everywhere, seen everything, and en¬ joyed it all. She is a reporter with wit, accuracy and flair. Though she dwells little on her own private life, she emerges as a happy, zestful woman.

Ellice, Jane. THE DIARY OF JANE ELLICE. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 1975. 211 p. $11.95. ISBN 0 88750 164 8.

Canadian George Dey, who came and went as he pleased, leaving the care of the house and children to his wife. Completely devoid of self-pity, the spunky Madame Dey cared com¬ petently for her own family and even had time for others in distress. In the words of the author, “she shamed the world by showing up the hollowness of many of its most dearly held pre¬ tensions about itself.” Told in the cadences of an old folk tale, this little story won first prize in the Canadian Centennial Literary Awards in 1967 and was listed “An Outstanding Book of the Year 1973” by the Times Book Review. It will be enjoyed by both young people and adults.

Jane Ellice, the wife of Lord Durham’s private secretary, accompanied her husband on Lord Durham’s visit to Canada in 1838. During her sevenmonth stay she travelled widely and recorded her impressions of people, places and customs. For a week she was even imprisoned by FrenchCanadian patriots. Nothing daunted, she spent the time sketching her captors. A charming and observant snob (to her, the Canadians were “natives”), Mrs. Ellice wrote a lively, witty and occasionally perceptive diary, illustrated with her own attrac¬ tive watercolours. Editor Patricia Godsell has provided an introduction, notes and a bibliography.

Firth, Sophia. THE URBANIZATION OF SOPHIA FIRTH. Toronto: Peter Martin, 1974. 271 p. $8.95. ISBN 0 88778 082 2. To escape from a poverty-stricken existence in Restigouche County, New Brunswick, Sophia Firth, her husband, and their five children migrated to Toronto in search of a decent liveli¬ hood. Instead, they encountered un¬ ending struggles to get and hold jobs, battles with social workers and the Unemployment Insurance Commission, and clashes with schools and police authorities. In frank, often salty language, Sophia recounts the day-today life of her family and friends as they argued and worked and played in an urban environment full of big-city problems and temptations. In spite of the harsh realities of their lives, the characters are lively and articulate, sometimes discouraged but always resilient. The chief value of the book lies in its authentic portrayal of a migrant family; it does not attempt to place the particular experience in a broader social context. The indomi¬ table Sophia, a member of Mensa and of Women for Political Action, wrote the book on a friendly challenge from her family and friends and even managed to get a Canada Council grant to help finance it.

Goudie, Elizabeth. WOMAN OF LABRADOR. Toronto: Peter Martin, 1973. 166 p. $10.00 cloth, ISBN 0 88778 079 2; $4.95 paperback, ISBN 0 88778 116 0. The life of a Labrador trapper’s wife is vividly remembered in every detail by Elizabeth Goudie. Born in 1902 near Mud Lake, Labrador, Mrs. Goudie recalls the soap-making, dog-sledding, and seal hunting and the primitive con¬ ditions that persisted in Labrador until the construction of the air base in Goose Bay in 1941. She raised eight children, fished, hunted, made clothing and furniture, and coped with cold, wild animals, accidents and disease. In spite of the lack of modern technology or conveniences, her life as she recalls it was a happy and satisfying one, with close family ties and friendly neigh¬ bours in time of need. She has also seen at first hand the changes that have taken place in Labrador, including the Churchill Falls hydro-electric pro¬ ject and the arrival of doctors, schools, and a hospital. Told simply, without sentimentality or striving for effect, the story provides a unique record of a lifestyle that scarcely seems to belong to the twentieth century. Several photographs, a map, a list of suggested readings, and an introduction by historian David Timmerly are included.

Hacker, Carlotta. THE INDOMITABLE LADY DOCTORS. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1974. 259 p. $8.50. ISBN 0 7748 0723 3. The Indomitable Lady Doctors was written to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada. All the subjects were pioneers in some way and many of them inevitably became suffragettes. Among those included are Maude Abbott, Irma la Vasseur and Augusta Stowe-Cullen. In all, the book is more a catalogue of names and events than a thoughtful analysis of achievements. There is an interesting book to be written about these women, but this is not it.

Hambleton, Ronald. THE SECRET OF JALNA. Markham, Ontario: Paperjacks, 1972. 230 p. $1.95 paperback. ISBN 0 7737 7008 9. No clear picture of Mazo de la Roche emerges in this book. About the popular novelist who created the Jalna series of romantic novels set in rural Ontario, the book promises more than it delivers. Though the author has accumulated many facts about the enigmatic de la Roche, he has been unable to disentangle the important from the trivial. The “secret” of Jalna remains a secret. Interspersed with the biographical material are brief dis¬ cussions of the novels and of the CBC television series based on them. The format is unsuitable and the many photographs are badly reproduced. A checklist of de la Roche’s books and a bibliography are included.

Green, H. Gordon. DONT HAVE YOUR BABY IN THE DORY! Montreal: Harvest House, 1973. 146 p. $3.50 paperback. ISBN 88772 148 6. When nurse Myra Bennet arrived in the small fishing hamlet of Daniel’s Harbour, Newfoundland in 1921, she was the only medical help along the 200 miles of storm-swept waste. For almost half a century, she travelled by boat, horse, or dogteam to nearly inaccessible places, handling all kinds of emergencies, from pulling teeth to stitching a torn scalp or sewing a foot in place. In a clear, straightforward style, Mr. Green relates Myra’s experi¬ ences, quoting frequently from her diary. Since the book was written, a documentary on Myra’s life has been produced on the CBC under the title “Lady of the Lonely Places.” An ab¬ sorbing, inspirational story, it should appeal to junior high school students. 35

Jameson, Anna Brownell. WINTER STUDIES AND SUMMER RAMBLES IN CANADA. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1965 (c 1838). $1.95 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 7710 9146 X. Abridged and edited for the McClelland and Stewart edition, Winter Studies and Summer Rambles is an account of eight months which the author spent on a visit to her husband who was Vice-Chancellor of Upper Canada. The “Winter Studies” section is a journal of her stay in Toronto and the “Summer Rambles” the account of her unpre¬ cedented tour by steamer and canoe through Upper Canada. The book gives a clear and lively description of her travels. Although her views about women were essentially reasonable, even conservative, they were regarded as extreme by many readers of the day. Her account of the Indians is understanding and sympathetic. “They profess to be warriors and hunters, and are so; we profess to be Christians and civilized—are we so? They are what they profess to be and we are not what we profess to be.” The keenly obser¬ vant and forthright statements of this intelligent woman recreate the flavour of the pre-Confederation era.

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James, Donna. EMILY MURPHY. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1976. 62 p. $2.25 paperback. ISBN 0 88902 234 8. One of Alberta’s “famous Five” fighters for the rights of women, Emily Murphy, who also wrote several books under the pen name “Janey Canuck,” was the first woman magistrate in Edmonton. Intelligent, articulate and personable, Emily was a lecturer, humanitarian and defender of the underdog. With four other women, she was instrumental in having women finally declared to be “persons” in 1929, thus making them eligible to sit in the Senate. Donna James has written a lively account of Emily’s life and achievements for this volume in ‘The Canadians” series for young people. Several photographs and sketches, a bibliography and questions for dis¬ cussion are included.

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Innis, Mary Quayle, ed. THE CLEAR SPIRIT: TWENTY CANADIAN WOMEN AND THEIR TIMES. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1966. 304 p. $5.50 paperback. ISBN 0 8020 6209 1.

Johnston, Jean. WILDERNESS WOMEN. Toronto: Peter Martin, 1973. 238 p. $8.98 cloth, ISBN 0 88778 084 9; $4.95 paperback, ISBN 0 88778 127 6.

Undertaken as a centennial project by the Canadian Federation of University Women, The Clear Spirit briefly sketches the lives of twenty Canadian women who have contributed in some way to the development of Canada. Edited by well-known Canadian author Mary Quayle Innis, all the selections were contributed by women writers. The theme of the book is women on the frontier. Some of the women represented are early pioneers, such as Madame de la Tour, often called “the heroine of Acadia”; others are pioneers of literature, such as poet Pauline Johnson; still others are public affairs persons, such as Agnes Macphail. All biographies are clearly written, well researched, and sparkling with vitality. Bibliographies follow each chapter, and a list of books about Canadian women concludes the book.

Spurred by a lack of biographical material on early Canadian women, Jean Johnston has written short biographies of eight remarkable women who came to the Canadian wilderness and played indispensable roles in the development of the country. Arranged in chronological order, the book begins with a selection on Gudrid the Viking, a key member of the expedition to Vinland, and con¬ cludes with the story of Martha Black, who went prospecting in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-8. Also included are Marguerite de Roberval, who showed Champlain that it was possible to live off the land; Jeanne Mance, who helped keep a foothold in the new world for the French; Molly Brant, of whom it was said that one word from her was more highly regarded by the Five Nations Indians than a

36

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thousand words from a white man; and Marie Anne Lagimodiere, who helped to establish churches and schools in the west. The extensive bibliographies included are mainly of secondary sources, and the biographies themselves chronicle individual achieve¬ ments without discussing their histori¬ cal significance. Their main value is in introducing these extraordinary women to today’s public.

Knight, Rolf, ed. A VERY ORDINARY LIFE. Vancouver: New Star Books, 1974. 317 p. $11.00 cloth, ISBN 0 919888 01 1; $4.95 paperback, ISBN 0 919888 00 3. In spite of the title, no one could say that Phyllis lived an “ordinary” life. Born in Berlin in 1901, she endured the poverty and dangers of World War I, eventually emigrating with husband Ali to Canada in 1928. For some reason not explained in the book, Ali was unable to hold a job for more than a few months at a time. They moved constantly, doing all kinds of menial jobs, from migrant worker to hot-dog stand operator to sausage stuffer and at one point panning (not very successfully) for gold. Definitely disgruntled with the capitalist system, Phyllis has a sardonic view of those in positions of power and influence, but she is neither defeated nor humiliated. This is her own story told in her own words to her son Rolf. Kostash, Myrna and others, eds. HER OWN WOMAN: PROFILES OF TEN CANADIAN WOMEN. Toronto: Macmillan, 1975. 216 p. $5.95 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 7705 1396 4. Five prominent Canadian journalists each contribute two articles about women they have known and admired. Subjects of the articles include Barbara Frum, Margaret Atwood, Rita MacNeill, Abby Hoffman, Judy La Marsh, a student, and a homemaker. All are chosen because, though their interests and ideals are widely dif¬ ferent, their lives are satisfying and fulfilling. As in any collection of this type, the accounts are necessarily uneven. In the case of successful women like Margaret Atwood, the authors’ admiration for their subjects often overshadows their critical judg¬ ment, but in other cases we are allowed a glimpse of real persons, with troubles, frustrations and human weaknesses. La Marsh, Judy. JUDY LA MARSH: MEMOIRS OF A BIRD IN A GILDED CAGE. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1969. 367 p. $7.95. ISBN 0 7710 4559 X. Judy La Marsh was elected member of Parliament in 1960, and when the Pearson government came to power in 1963 she became the first woman to

Livesay, Dorothy. A WINNIPEG CHILDHOOD. Winnipeg: Peguis, 1973. 105 p. $6.00. ISBN 0 919566 21 9.

serve in a Liberal Cabinet. This book deals mainly with her experiences as Minister of Health and Welfare and later as Secretary of State during the centennial year. Never one to pull her punches or back off from controversy, La Marsh reveals what it was like to be the one woman in a 29-man cabinet. Her part in the introduction of the Canada Pension Plan, her jousts with CBC management, and her role in the centennial celebrations are recorded, as well as her work in setting up the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. This lively and opinionated autobiography of a tough, talented and outspoken woman is illustrated with photographs and cartoons.

Lee, Betty. LUTIAPIK. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1975. 237 p. $10.00. ISBN 0 7710 5255 1. Dorothy Knight spent a year as a nurse in the Eskimo settlement of Lake Harbour in Hudson Strait. Travelling often many miles through the settle¬ ment, Miss Knight (whom the Eskimos named Lutiapik, “the little woman who cares for us”) coped as best she could with inadequate supplies and obsolete equipment. Her warm-hearted love for the Eskimos and her frus¬ tration with the lack of guidance given by the Canadian officials are recorded in this somewhat fictionalized biography. On the whole, journalist Betty Lee has written an entertaining, if somewhat romanticized, story about an attractive subject. What the book lacks is some thoughtful analysis of the Eskimo situation and the paternal¬ istic attitude of the white society in the settlement.

Dorothy Livesay’s radical, lively, popular poetry spans a period of over four decades. Now we have fifteen reminiscences of her early years in Winnipeg during the 1920s. Partly fictionalized, these prose sketches tell of a household dominated by a stern Victorian father, with a mother devoted to her own particular role. Eventually the young girl realizes that she must stand on her own feet and break the fetters which bind her to a home that always seems more her father’s than her mother’s. A subtle and persuasive depiction of the effects of male domination and the misunder¬ standing between generations, all the more powerful because it is neither doctrinaire nor didactic, the book gives a good psychological insight into the growing-up process and will be useful as a background to Livesay’s poetry.

McClung, Nellie. THE STREAM RUNS FAST: MY OWN STORY. Toronto: Allen, 1965 (cl914). $2.98. The Stream Runs Fast is a sequel to the author’s first volume of remi¬ niscences, Clearing in the West, now out of print. Lacking the vigour and narrative power of the earlier volume, this book is a sometimes uneasy blend of autobiography and political and social comment. McClung tells of her first public speeches for women’s rights, her confrontation with Premier Roblin of Manitoba, and the “Women’s Parliament” burlesque enacted in Winnipeg in 1914. In 1938 McClung was appointed to the League of Nations, which she describes as re¬ sembling a “magnificent house fur¬ nished elaborately, beautifully designed but with no electricity.”

37

MacEwan, John Walter Grant. ...AND MIGHTY WOMEN TOO. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books, 1975. 275 p. $9.95 cloth, ISBN 0 919306 640; $5.00 paperback, ISBN 0 919306 65 9. Grant MacEwan has written several books about western Canadian Indians and pioneers. In this companion volume to his previously published Fifty Mighty Men (Prairie Books, 1974) McEwan briefly sketches the lives and efforts of thirty-two western women, all notable in some profession or for their devotion to one cause or endeavour. Beginning with Marie Anne Lagimodiere, the first white woman to travel west, the book brings us up to newsworthy women of the seventies. Among those included are feminist Nellie McClung, poet Pauline Johnson, writer and educator Hilda Neatby, Anahareo, wife of Grey Owl, and Ma Murray, editor of the Lillooet News. Unpretentious and factual in style, ... And Mighty Women Too provides at least minimal information about some unchronicled pioneers and shows the difficulties women have had to undergo before attaining even the level of freedom they now enjoy.

McKenzie, Ruth. LAURA SECORD. THE LADY AND THE LEGEND. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1971. 142 p. $5.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7710 5819 5; $3.95 paperback, ISBN 0 7710 5800 4. To some Canadians, Laura Secord is the epitome of courage; to others she and her cow and her milk pail are a joke. In this book, Ruth McKenzie sets out to disentangle fact from fiction. A study of archival documents and historical publications enables McKenzie to piece the puzzle together and reconstruct the events leading up to Laura’s twenty-mile walk through Ontario woods to warn Lieutenant FitzGibbon about a planned surprise attack by the Americans during the War of 1812. In McKenzie’s view, Laura’s trek did indeed contribute to the Canadian victory at Beaver Dam, though it would be an exaggeration to say that this victory saved Canada from falling into American hands. McKenzie has done a great deal of research for this book, which makes for informative, if not lively, reading.

38

Martin, Claire. IN AN IRON GLOVE. Philip Stratford, trans. Montreal: Harvest House, 1975. 161 p. $2.50 paperback. ISBN 88772 163 X. In this first volume of her autobiography, Claire Martin writes with remorseless candour about her unhappy child¬ hood in a large, isolated house near Quebec City and later as a boarder in a convent school. The fourth child of a tyrannical father and a timid, self-sacrificing mother, Claire describes an oppressive home atmosphere, where laughter was considered a symptom of lewdness and beatings were the order of the day. Although life as a boarder in a nearby convent school was a bit more bearable, it too was harsh and often unjust. The gruelling story is told with the skill and incisive style of a mature writer. When the book was first published in 1965 it received the Prix France Quebec and the Prix de la Province de Quebec. As an unforgettable portrait of a male tyrant and of Quebec society in the sixties, In An Iron Glove will hold most readers spellbound.

_THE RIGHT CHEEK. Philip Stratford, trans. Montreal: Harvest House, 1975. 161 p. $2.50 paper¬ back. ISBN 88772 1630X. The second volume of Claire Martin’s autobiography begins at the time of her mother’s death, when the author was thirteen. The first year without her mother was frightening, but soon she and her sisters and brothers learned how, by laughter and subterfuge, to circumvent their father’s tyrannical dictums. Claire’s need to love and be loved are apparent, though this is obscured by a self-defensive sar¬ casm. Only after several years was she able to forgive her father and to describe things as they were. “To be a child or a woman will always be like being destitute or coloured,” she says in the foreword. “Whenever anyone is strong enough, male enough, rich enough, or white enough to persecute the weak, he will gladly do so.” A powerful indictment of the abuse of power, The Right Cheek won the Governor General’s Award (for fiction!) in 1966. Taken together, the two volumes constitute a model of auto¬ biographical writing. The excellent translation makes them accessible to adolescents as well as adults.

Maynard, Fredelle Bruser. RAISINS AND ALMONDS. Toronto: Double¬ day, 1972. 189 p. $6.50 cloth, ISBN 0 385 02957 8; Markham, Ontario: Paperjacks, 1973. $1.75 paperback, ISBN 0 7737 7046 1. The tastes and smells and sounds and sights of small towns in Manitoba and Saskatchewan come marvellously to life in these reminiscences of a Jewish girl’s childhood and adolescence in the 1920s and 30s. Nostalgic without being sentimental, the book is a warm memoir of a close-knit family con¬

stantly moving from town to town as the father’s little grocery business fails in one place only to be started again with high hopes in another. Memories of the all-purpose Eaton’s catalogue, the wonders of a new school reader, the quick movements of Mama as she makes strudel dough, the pain of growing up Jewish in a nonJewish environment, and the con¬ fusion of being the only child at school not to receive a Christmas present, all are set down in vivid detail. This is a special book, which cannot fail to please young people and adults.

Moodie, Susanna. ROUGHING IT IN THE BUSH. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1962. 238 p. $2.25 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 7710 9131 1. Roughing it in the Bush was first published in 1852, intended by its author “to serve as a warning to English gentlefolk about the toil and hardships to be endured in the backwoods of Canada.” The 1962 edition omits all of Mrs. Moodie’s poems and the other extraneous materials which padded out the original publication. Born in England of a literary family (her sister was Catherine Parr Trail), Susanna Moodie came with her army officer husband to Canada in 1832. The family settled in the Port Hope area of Ontario, and it is of their pioneering life in the backwoods that she writes. The shock of having to live in a shack, the accounts of storms and pestilence and illness, and her forth¬ right opinions of her neighbours are vividly conveyed in a lively, dramatic narrative which often reads like an adventure novel. Not a typical settler’s wife—her consciousness of birth, edu¬ cation, and the deference due her from “inferiors” set her apart from her neighbours—Mrs. Moodie nevertheless succeeds in bringing to life the hard¬ ships endured by the pioneer wife.

Moss, Susanne. TOO MANY TEARS. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1974. 128 p. $6.95. ISBN 0 7710 6566 3. “Writing this book was a gigantic physical undertaking for me. I had to struggle with smudgy sheets of carbon, with the spasm in my body that made finding the right key on the typewriter a long and frustrating task.” These are the words of Susanne Moss, a victim of cerebral palsy, who lives alone in a Toronto apartment, where she cooks, cleans, and looks after herself. In bitterness and anger she relives her struggles to achieve education, growth and independence. Her affliction often makes her, a woman of above average intelligence, appear drunk or mentally retarded. As a result of a letter to Pierre Berton, she was a guest on his TV show, and it was he who encouraged her to write the book, for which he has written a preface. Too Many Tears is a powerful plea for human rights and understanding for the handicapped.

Neering, Rosemary. EMILY CARR. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1975. 62 p. $2.25 paper¬ back. ISBN 0 88902 207 0. Written for middle-grade students and up, Emily Carr is one of the most attractive books in “The Canadians” series of biographies for young people. Lavishly illustrated with pictures, cartoons and reproductions of the artist’s own paintings, the book briefly recounts Emily Carr’s life from her childhood through her sojourn at art school, her years as a struggling artist, and finally, her declining years when she became a writer. Her original painting technique not being acceptable to the critics, Emily was forced to eke out an existence as a boardinghouse keeper and owner of a dog kennel. Only at the end of her life did she receive the artistic recognition she deserved. The author has written a clear and simple book about a tough, dedicated woman.

Nicholson, G.W. CANADA’S NURS¬ ING SISTERS. Toronto: Samuel, Stevens & Hakkert, 1976. 272 p. $12.95. ISBN 0 88866 567 9. A former colonel in the Canadian armed forces and the author of several books on military subjects has written the first history of the nursing sisters who have served Canada’s armed forces since 1885. From personal interviews and official records, Nicholson sets down the sometimes humorous, some¬ times hazardous experiences of these women, from the first corps of seven who served during the Riel Rebellion to those who later served in the Boer War, the two world wars, the Korean War, and the modern Canadian services at home and abroad. The factual, often dry account is enlivened by photographs and anecdotes. One such

anecdote tells of the theft of nursesr uniforms by some prostitutes in France. Not unexpectedly, this gave the nurses a bad name. Nicholson has marshalled his facts and includes an extensive list of source materials. Though accurate and well researched, however, the book is only spasmodi¬ cally interesting. It remains for some¬ one else to write an insightful analysis of the role of the nursing sisters.

O’Brien, Mary Sophia. JOURNALS OF MARY O’BRIEN, 1828-1838. Toronto: Macmillan, 1968. 314 p. $5.95. ISBN 0 7705 0216 4. Readers interested in the role of pioneer women and the conditions in Upper Canada in the early part of the 19th century will find these journals a valuable source of information. At the age of thirty, Mary O’Brien (then Mary Gatty) came to Canada to visit her brother. Two years later she married neighbouring farmer Edward O’Brien and settled with him in Vaughan Township, north of presentday Toronto. The journals, which she sent to her family in England, are a lively account of political conditions and family life in the Upper Canada of her day. With charm and style the diary tells of a Treaty Day among the Indians of Lake Simcoe, day-to-day household tasks, the books read by Mary and her friends, and rumours of an incipient rebellion. Mary O’Brien comes through as an intelligent and observant woman, equal to the most unexpected situations. Audrey Saunders has edited the book and provided an introduction. 39

Ray, Janet. EMILY STOWE. Don Mills, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1976. 61 p. $2.25 paperback. ISBN 0 88902 215 1. When Emily Stowe applied to enter the Faculty of Medicine at the Univer¬ sity of Toronto in 1860 she was told: “The doors are not open to women and I hope they never will be.” She went to New York, received her medical degree there and returned to Ontario, determined not only to practise medicine but to see that other women would no longer be rejected as she had been. To obtain a Canadian license, Emily had to attend a session of classes at the Toronto School of Medicine where she and the only other woman student were subjected to embarrassment and ridicule. She re¬ ceived a license, and largely as a result of her persistence, three medical schools soon opened their doors to women. Dr. Stowe also turned her energies to achieving improved working conditions and equal rights for women. Janet Ray has succeeded in making the highlights of Dr. Stowe’s life accessible to an adolescent readership. Several illustrations and a bibliography are included.

Simcoe, Elizabeth. MRS. SIMCOE’S DIARY. Toronto: Macmillan, 1965. 233 p. $4.95. ISBN 0 7705 0169 9. The full text of Mrs. Simcoe’s famous diary, describing Canada from 1791 to 1796, together with maps and some of Mrs. Simcoe’s watercolour paintings, is presented here with an introduction by Mary Quayle Innis. The Canada to which Mrs. Simcoe came was one city, Quebec, and a few towns and villages along the St. Lawrence River. As wife of the first Governor of Upper Canada, Mrs. Simcoe travelled widely through¬ out the new land and commented vividly on the day-to-day life and important events of the period. A keen observer, a botanist, an artist and a diarist, she has left a remarkable record of the land, the forests, the animals, the Indians, and the social life and customs of the new land. Her diaries, written from canoes and bateaux, are oi interest to the general reader and the researcher.

40

Sisler, Rebecca. THE GIRLS. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1974. 120 p. $7.95. ISBN 0 7720 0578 8. Rebecca Sisler is herself a sculptor and a long-time friend of the well-known sculptors Francis Loring and Florence Wyle, the “girls” of the title. Two important modern Canadian sculptors, Loring and Wyle came to Canada in 1920 and set up a studio in an aban¬ doned Anglican church in Toronto, where they worked together for the rest of their lives. Loring describes their early struggles for recognition, the gatherings at the old studio, and the influence the “girls” had on Canadian culture. Among their friends were A.Y. Jackson and Frederick Varley, both of whom were sculpted by Wyle. As well as working at their art, the two women devoted much of their time and money to assisting struggling young artists. At the end of their lives, they were out of step with new developments in sculpture, though there has since been a resur¬ gence of interest in their work. The book gives little insight into the creative process, yet the reader cannot but admire these tough and talented women.

Speare, Jean E., ed. THE DAYS OF AUGUSTA. Vancouver: JJ. Douglas, 1973. 73 p. $8.95. ISBN 0 88894 041 6. “I had four children, two boys and two girls. My daughters were babies when they died, yes small babies. My daughters were born before their time. They say a daughter born at six months will live, but not at eight.” This is an excerpt from the life story of Augusta Evans as told to Vancouver writer Jean Speare. Born in 1888 near Soda Creek in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, this 87-year-old grand¬ daughter of a Shuswap Indian chief recalls some highlights of her lifetime. In the lilting cadences of blank verse, she speaks of salmon-catching, basket¬ making, old Indian legends, her experiences in Indian schools, and the harsh realities of life and death. These eloquent reminiscences of a passing way of life are beautifully illustrated by Vancouver photographer Robert Keziere.

Street, Margaret. WATCHFIRES ON THE MOUNTAIN: THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF ETHEL JOHNS. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1974. 336 p. $15.00. ISBN 0 8020 1987 0. Ethel Johns was a pioneer in nursing education in Canada. Coming from a strict Victorian background, she entered nursing at a time when it was considered a service of cheap labour and not a profession. At the time of the Winnipeg General Strike, Johns felt sympathetic to the working people It was she who pushed for better edu¬ cation for nurses and through her efforts pioneered nursing education.

Tivy, Louis, ed. YOUR LOVING ANNA: LETTERS FROM THE ONTARIO FRONTIER. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972. 172 p. $7.50 cloth, ISBN 0 8020 1927 7; $2.95 paperback, ISBN 0 8020 6166 4. After losing the family savings, David Liveredge left his wife and children in England without even saying goodbye and emigrated to the backwoods of Hastings County in Ontario. The following summer (1883) he had

scraped together most of the passage money, and Anna and their six children set out to join him. In these letters to her family in England, Anna told of their pioneering life. Money was scarce and good jobs meant her husband had to spend long periods away from home at logging camps or in railway building. There was no school, and neighbours were widely scattered, but Anna’s letters are always cheerful and uncomplaining. Anna’s nephew, Louis Tivy, prepared the letters for publication.

Traill, Catherine Parr. THE BACKWOODS OF CANADA. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1971 (c 1966). 128 p. $1.75 paperback. ISBN 0 7710 9151 6. Born in England in 1802, Catherine Parr Traill came of a literary family, one member of which was Susanna Moodie. Like her famous sister, she and her husband emigrated to Canada and lived in the area near what is now Peterborough, Ontario. Her book was designed as a handbook for emigrating gentlewomen and is an account of her first two years in the backwoods. It warns of the difficulties to be faced, the toils, troubles and ultimate satis¬

factions in store for the immigrant. Mrs. Traill gives many hints for making a home comfortable and for using native plants to supplement the meagre diet of the pioneer. She has a keen eye for people and places and a special feeling for nature. Written in the form of letters to her mother and friends, The Backwoods of Canada is a shrewd and honest comment on the Canadian environment of the day.

Willis, Jane. GENIESH: AN INDIAN GIRLHOOD. Toronto: New Press, 1973. 151 p. $8.50. ISBN 0 88770 202 3. Jane Willis was the daughter of a Hudson Bay Company manager’s white clerk and a Cree woman. When her mother refused to marry her father, young Jane was adopted by her maternal grandparents. This is a some¬ times bitter account of her eight years in an Indian Affairs boarding school and her later training as a dental assistant. Eventually she grew up to be independent of the Indian Affairs Department, the church, and her family. Although frequently selfpitying, the account does shed light on racial misunderstanding.

41

LITERATURE by and ABOUT WOMEN

\

Anderson, Doris. TWO WOMEN. Toronto: Macmillan, 1978. 243 p. $9.95. ISBN 0 7705 1653 X. The two women of the title are Julia, a successful editor in a publishing company and the divorced mother of a fifteen-year-old son, and Hilary, an affluent and idle society matron. The plot revolves on the one hand around Julia’s affair with Hilary’s husband, her ensuing pregnancy, and her jostling for power against a male establishment at the publishing company, and on the other hand around Hilary’s inability to cope with an empty and artificial existence. Using characters and situ¬ ations that are transparent stereotypes for two opposing sets of values, the novel succeeds as a superficial but readable expression of liberal feminist values.

In an ultimate symbolic gesture that typifies her keen sense of the absurd, Marian bakes a cake which she decorates in her own likeness. She feeds the cake to her insensitive fianc^ and watches him consume it with oblivious relish.

—--LADY ORACLE. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1976. 346 p. $10.00 cloth, ISBN 0 7710 0815 5; Toronto: Seal Books, 1977. 345 p. $2.25 paperback, ISBN 0 7704 1505 9. In her attempts to follow convention and satisfy the various demands made of her, Joan Foster has led several lives, each unplanned and kept separate from the rest. She has harboured the secret of a childhood as a fat and unpopular schoolgirl and played the various roles of mistress to an expatriate Polish count, wife of a radical left-wing professor, anonymous writer of gothic romances, and most recently, best-selling author. As all her secret lives threaten to collide, she stages her own death and escapes to Italy in an attempt to slip completely out of her past. But unlike the tidy fantasies she is able to contrive for her gothic novels, her real life remains chaotic and discordant. Lady Oracle is a richly-textured novel with many incisive and witty comments on ineffective “radicals,” “successful” Canadian literature, and the condition of contemporary women.

Atwood, Margaret. DANCING GIRLS. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1977. 256 p. $10.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7710 0810 4; Seal Books, 1978. 245 p. $2.25 paperback, ISBN 0 7704 1531 1. Of the fourteen short stories in the collection, three have not been published previously. In most of the stories, the main characters are ordinary middle-class women trapped in the frustrations of everyday life. The characters and social situations are viewed with Margaret Atwood’s usual cool and acerbic analysis.

_ . THE EDIBLE WOMAN. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1969. 281 p. $8.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7710 0060 X; $2.75 paperback, ISBN 0 7710 9193 1. Marian McAlpine appears to be an ordinary young woman who works as a market researcher for a food company and is engaged to a stolid and unimaginative law student. As time goes on, Marian begins to feel the alienation of living in a materialistic, consumer-oriented society. In a world that treats her as an object, she identifies herself increasingly with the objects being consumed all around her. She develops an aversion to food, her distaste beginning with meat and growing until she is unable to eat anything at all.

_. SURFACING. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1972. 192 p. $7.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7710 0822 8; Markham, Ont.: Paperjacks, 1973. 192 p. $1.95 paperback, ISBN 0 7737 7049 6. What begins as a woman’s search for traces of her lost father ends as a parable for the struggle towards an autonomous Canadian identity. The unnamed narrator, in company with her lover and another couple, embarks on an investigation on an island in northern Quebec, where her father, a surveyor and naturalist, is presumed lost. Removed from civilization, the young woman becomes aware of the larger ramifications of her quest, of which her companions remain unaware. She stays on alone to re-examine her childhood, the meaning of her life, and her sense of identity as a woman in a sexist society and a Canadian in an arti¬ ficial culture. Her harsh and primitive encounter with the wilderness finally leads her through a struggle towards selfknowledge and a higher level of consciousness about her society and her country. 43

Baird, Irene. WASTE HERITAGE. Toronto: Macmillan, 1974. 329 p. $3.95 paperback. ISBN0 7705 1107 4.

Beresford-Howe, Constance. THE BOOK OF EVE. Toronto: Macmillan, 1972. 237 p. $7.95 cloth, ISBN 0 7705 0888 X; New York: Avon, 1975. $1.50 paper¬ back, ISBN 0 380 00486 0.

First published in 1939, this is the most powerful documentary novel to come out of the Canadian Depression. Matt Striker is one of the many embittered, unemployed young men travelling across the country in search of work. He drifts into Vancouver and meets Eddy, another young drifter, who has been made simple-minded by a blow on the head from a policeman during one of the frequent riots. Eddy is soon dependent on Matt, and together they become involved in a massive political movement, militantly demanding jobs through strikes and demonstrations. The desolation and hopelessness of the time draw Matt and Eddy towards their inevitable tragic end.

On the day she receives her first old-age pension cheque, Eva, with no fore¬ thought or bitterness, walks out on forty years of marriage and middle-class comfort. Her future is uncertain and insecure but is eventually shaped by her own will. She settles in a shabby rooming house, manages to survive by becoming a “shopping-bag lady,” who reclaims articles discarded by others, and develops a relationship with an unlikely, extravagant Hungarian who lives in the same building. This is not a romantic myth of easy freedom and new-found love, for Eva struggles with poverty, loneliness and doubt. But the price is worth it, as she finds her life is under her own control for the first time, and she gains a new sense of self-respect, an awareness of her sensuality, and a joy in living. This novel has been converted into a successful stage play by Larry Fineberg.

-A POPULATION OF ONE. Toronto: Macmillan, 1977. 201 p. $10.95. ISBN 0 7705 1575 4. At thirty years of age, Willy Doyle finally casts off the burden of her unhappy youth as the daughter of an alcoholic father and an ailing, bitter mother. When her mother dies, Willy takes her newly gained freedom and sets herself two objectives. The first is easily accomplished, as she gets a job as a teacher of English at a Montreal college. The second, which she calls The Project, is more difficult: “to marry somebody as promptly as possible—or at the very least to have an affair.” This is the second in a trilogy of novels about women in various stages of their lives. The first was The Book of Eve, and the third, yet to be published, is to be about a much younger woman. Though readable and often amusing, A Population of One lacks the vitality and directness of The Book of Eve.

Blais, Marie-Claire. DAVID STERNE. Translated by David Lobdell. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1973. 92 p. $6.95. ISBN 0 7710 1543 7.

-- DURER’S ANGEL. Translated by David Lobdell. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1976. 105 p. $4.95 paperback. ISBN 0 88922 111 1.

The Montreal underworld provides a setting of violence, vice and desperation. David Sterne is the bitter and scornful protagonist, a thief and male prostitute who moves know¬ ingly and defiantly through this world. His life has been and continues to be a history of oppression by the dehumanizing forces of his society. This harsh and surrealistic account of the conditions of David’s life and of his relationship with the tragic Michel Rameau forces the reader into a re¬ examination of conventional morality and values. Through a stark encounter with the anarchy and nihilism of an alien lifestyle comes a heightened perception of reality.

This is the third volume of the trilogy beginning with The Manuscript of Pauline Archange and Vivre! Vivre! It con¬ tinues the story of Pauline Archange through boarding school days and her attempts to realize her vision of herself as a writer. Pauline’s family situation changes, and as she reaches maturity she is forced to take a job in a bank, an occupation that her father sees as more respectable and profitable than the apparent idleness of her dreams of writing. The central image of the book is the melancholy angel in a print by Diirer, a memory from Pauline’s child¬ hood that represents the agony and transcendence of creativity. Through all the oppression and drudgery of her life, Pauline clings to that image and continues to redefine her sordid world in her writing.

44

—--- MAD SHADOWS. Translated by Merloyd Lawrence. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1971. 125 p. $1.75 paperback. ISBN 0 7710 1540 2. Marie-Claire Blais’ first novel tells a macabre tale set in a shadowy nightmarish landscape. Each of the characters is deformed in one way or another and locked into an unreal world. Through their deformities and isolation the characters continually cause each other pain and eventually destroy each other. Isabelle-Marie is ugly, and torn with love and jealousy for Patrice, her beautiful, narcissistic idiot brother. Louise, the mother, increases the rage and jealousy in her family by excessively favouring Patrice and by taking Lanz, a cripple and a fop, as her lover. To find refuge from the horror of her family situation, Isabelle marries a blind man named Michael, only to be rejected when he regains his sight. The horror increases to a frenzy of vengeance and violence which consumes them all.

tavern, he meets a pretentious writer named Papillon, who wants Ti-Pit to instruct him in the use of joual so that he can incorporate the language of the workers into his writing. Their association brings together a bizarre assort¬ ment of characters, including workers, writers, addicts, feminists, Marxists, priests and homosexuals. Through Ti-Pit’s biting narrative, the various characters become parodies of the lifestyles and ideologies they represent. The novel culminates in a chaotic mass demonstration against social oppression.

_A SEASON IN THE LIFE OF EMMANUEL. Translated by Derek Coltman. Toronto: Bantam, 1976. 145 p. $1.50 paperback. ISBN 0 553 02608 9. Emmanuel is the latest of a large number of children born into a poor family in rural Quebec. The parents are a mind¬ less, illiterate farmer and a mother whose only role is to bear one child after another. In the first, frail season of his life, Emmanuel witnesses the weakening and death of Iris artistic, consumptive adolescent brother and the inevi¬ table fall of his pious, docile sister into a brothel rather than a convent. Their fates are typical of the futures in store for the other thirteen children, who continue to receive meagre and repressive educations and drift into lives of drudgery and petty crime. Dominating the children’s lives is the figure of the grandmother, Antoinette, who symbolizes a placid acceptance of the squalor and harshness and the continuity of a cycle that seems impossible to break.

_ . THE MANUSCRIPTS OF PAULINE ARCHANGE. Translated by Derek Coltman. Toronto: Bantam, 1976. $1.50 paperback. ISBN 0 553 02698 4. Compelled to write to purge herself of the horrors of her childhood, Pauline Archange redefines herself through these “manuscripts.” The oppression of a rigid Catholic upbringing in a French-Canadian city slum is described through searing images. Illness, drunkenness, death and guilt characterize the lives of the victims of this environ¬ ment. The child Pauline Archange is also trapped in a cycle of violence and despair, but she transforms her experience into symbols and shapes her life into that of a writer. In the French edition this was published as two volumes, with the titles The Manuscripts of Pauline Archange and Vivre! Vivre!

_ST. LAWRENCE BLUES. Translated by Ralph Manheim. Toronto: Bantam, 1976. $1.50 paperback. ISBN 0 553 02572 4. This collage of life in modern Quebec hinges on the use of “joual,” the French-Canadian working-class vernacular. The central character is Ti-Pit, or “Little Nothing,” an orphan and an underdog, and a cynical, satirical embodiment of the Quebec underworld. In the appropriate setting of a

____ . TETE BLANCHE. Translated by Charles Fullman. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1974. 136 p. $2.25 paperback. ISBN 0 7710 9204 0. This novel is written largely in the form of letters, which trace the journey of its troubled and destructive boy-hero into adolescence. The first set of letters is between Tete Blanche, who is living resentfully in a boarding school, and his mother, an actress who herself lives an unsatisfactory emotional life with her husband. The mother eventually dies, leaving Tete Blanche lonely and desolate. In the second set of letters, Tete Blanche corresponds with Emilie, the sister of a schoolfellow. These letters trace their failed love relationship and leave Tete Blanche feeling deserted for a second time and even more bitter than before. Several years later Tete Blanche corresponds with Monsieur Brenner, a former teacher. Monsieur Brenner’s encouraging and compassionate letters to Tete Blanche are met by an increasingly hardening attitude of betrayal, loss, and spite on the part of the boy. An exploration of the turbulent emotions of youth in the book depicts a life where the promise of love seems to be inevitably followed by aban¬ donment.

45

-THE WOLF. Translated by Sheila Fischman. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1974. 242 p. $8.95. ISBN 0 7710 1544 5. The “wolf” of the novel is Sebastian, a young homosexual who identifies himself with the animal because of his alienation from the conventional bounds of society and the

predatory nature of his love. Sebastian recounts the course of three relationships, each with a misfit or an outcast and each ending in failure or rejection. The setting is Blais’ usual world of darkness, passion and violence. Despite this dehumanizing landscape, salvation still comes in the form of human love, even love born of misunderstanding and despair.

Bosco, Monique. LOT’S WIFE. Trans¬ lated by John Glassco. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1975. 140 p. $7.95. ISBN 0 7710 1586 0.

Brooke, Frances. THE HISTORY OF EMILY MONTAGUE. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1961. 280 p. $2.95 paperback. ISBN 0 7710 9127 3.

The novel begins with Helene looking through her window and contem¬ plating suicide. H