Catharine Parr Traill Bücher

„Da Sie den Wunsch äußern, eine ausführliche Beschreibung unsrer Reise von mir zu erhalten, so will ich meine Mitteilungen von der Zeit unsrer Einschiffung an beginnen und so oft schreiben, als mich meine Neigung dazu treibt.“ In Briefen an ihre Mutter beschreibt die Emigrantin Catherine Parr Traill (1802–1899) die Strapazen ihrer Auswanderung nach Kanada. Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts wagt sie mit ihrem Mann einen Neuanfang, da dieser aufgrund seines Berufsstandes als Offizier in der englischen Armee eine Landbewilligung erhält. Die Schilderungen des Reiseweges sind gleichermaßen durchzogen von ihren detailgetreuen Beobachtungen der Natur und ihrer Umgebung. Schon bald muss sie erkennen, dass das reale Leben eines (Neu-)Ansiedlers im kanadischen Urwald ungeahnte Herausforderungen mit sich bringt, die sie in ihrer vorbereitenden Lektüre so nicht vorfinden konnte. Ihre gewonnenen Erfahrungen hält sie als Ratschläge für andere Auswanderer fest, besonders darauf bedacht, der weiblichen Sichtweise Raum zu schaffen. Der Sprachstil der gebürtigen Engländerin Catherine Parr Traill verleiht ihren Erzählungen einen besonderen Charme, der die Zeit beim Lesen zurückdreht.

The book features contributions from Nathalie Cooke, an associate dean and English professor at McGill University, alongside Fiona Lucas, a co-founder of the Culinary Historians of Canada. It explores Canadian food history, highlighting the cultural and historical significance of cuisine in Canada. With insights from experts, it delves into the evolution of food practices and their impact on Canadian identity.

Catharine Parr Traill, nee Strickland (1802-1899) was a British author who wrote about life as a settler in Canada. Traill began writing children's books in 1818 like Disobedience; or, Mind What Mama Says (1819). She described her new life in Canada in letters and journals, and collected these into The Backwoods of Canada (1836), which continues to be read as an important source of information about early Canada. More observations were included in a novel, Canadian Crusoes (1851) which was retitled Lost in The Backwoods. She also published The Female Emigrant's Guide (1854), later retitled The Canadian Settler's Guide which concerns about the ability of emigrants to settle down in a new place. Catharine spent her years in Belleville writing about the natural environment. She often sketched the plant life of Upper Canada, publishing Canadian Wild Flowers (1865) and Studies of Plant Life in Canada (1885). She died in Ontario in 1899.

Pioneer life is vividly depicted through the experiences of Catharine Parr Traill, who, alongside her sister Susanna Moodie, traded the comforts of English society for the challenges of a burgeoning new land. The narrative captures the struggles and rewards of settling in a frontier environment, showcasing the resilience and spirit required to thrive in such circumstances. Traill’s charming storytelling brings to life the unique aspects of this transformative journey.

Exploring a wide array of topics, this book offers captivating insights into the natural environment and the early settlement of Upper Canada. Its unique charm lies in its ability to connect readers with the region's history and ecology, providing a rich tapestry of observations that invite reflection and appreciation for the past and present.

This absorbing story about three children of Scottish and French origin who become lost on the Rice Lake Plains in the late eighteenth century provides the author with an opportunity to contemplate important themes of Canadian literature and identity.