Canadians

Praise

“In the quest to define our national identity, the most essential question was aked by the greatest of our literary critics, Northrop Frye: ‘Where is “here?”’  Finally we have the answer: in the pages of Roy MacGregor’s magnificent new book, Canadians.” —Peter C. Newman

“Roy MacGregor’s new book is a national treasure.” —Andrew H. Malcolm, author of The Canadians

“It’s hard to think about anyone more qualified than Roy MacGregor to write a book that truly is a portrait of Canada.” —Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay)
 
“A remarkable book . . . Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail has come as close to capturing the feel and flavour of Canada as words allow.” —Toronto Star
 
“Writing a book that tries to explain Canada to Canadians is in many ways a gift. . . . MacGregor unfolds a fascinating depiction of Canada . . . Canadians is a sprawling book. But it does capture the essence of our diversity, it does evoke the spirit of this beautiful, undefinable set of contradictions that make up Canada. . . . A couple of the chapters are powerful enough to bring a reader to tears.” —Calgary Herald

“MacGregor has long been considered one of Canada’s finest journalists, and this volume serves as something of a sampler and encapsulation of his talents. . . . Canadians stands as a superior example of reportage, and a reckoning of a journalistic career of more than three decades. . . . Canadians is, in the final reckoning, a series of snapshots of our varied and diverse cultures, an insight into worlds and events that may be utterly foreign to some of us, but are, at their heart, fundamentally our own.” —Ottawa Citizen

“He brings a rare—and trust me, admirable—touch to his work. . . . [A] worthy and entertaining effort, reminding us of shameful shortcomings and how we can get it so right, even spectacularly so. . . . In many ways, travelling over time, topics and geography, often courtesy of MacGregor’s first-person, on-site observations, by anecdotes and quotations, Canadians the book reflects that. The overall effect after a read offers quiet, clear-eyed reassurance.” —Edmonton Journal
 
“The book’s greatest strength is the sense of the country and its people that emerge—personal, impressionistic, improvisatory, transitory, speculative. This is journalism of a high order. . . .  MacGregor interprets Canada not only as a country and as a nation, but as an idea, an imaginative construct that often defies reason and logic but one that continues to speak to many who call this place home.” —Guelph Mercury