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christianreader2011-02-28 09:37 pm
mattiescottage.livejournal.com) wrote in christianreader2011-02-28 09:37 pm
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February Reading Visits a "Feminist" in the Western Canadian Frontier
In February, I think I must have spent more time getting in and out of
woolens, snowsuits, and insulated boots than I did reading.
Thanks to the magic of Microsoft Reader Text-to-Speech, I managed to listen to the following book over a few sessions of weekend kitchen activity:
It seemed to me that the author
excelled in showing the contributions
of people wherever they happened to be, in their homes and with their
neighbors. In one story, a couple who were active in
the
Salvation Army Church while in the city exercise heart and
kindness
in their new rough frontier neighborhood. In another story, a female author at a speaking
engagement surprises her hosts
with her love of her own rural home and family
above time she could have with their (presumably) more
culturally-educated and
progressive
social group. One
story showed the emptiness and futility of small-town political games
and maneuvering.
I must say that I was more than a bit surprised when I later did some quick research and found that Nellie McClung is best known for her role in political activism in the liberal issues of her day and is considered a "feminist." Upon reflection, I gather that McClung's writings attempt to show us that her political aims rested on a real heart for helping individuals find their place and their rest.
I look forward to learning more about Nellie McClung, not by what the encyclopediae say, but through another of her works.
Thanks to the magic of Microsoft Reader Text-to-Speech, I managed to listen to the following book over a few sessions of weekend kitchen activity:
- The Black Creek Stopping-House and Other Stories by Nellie McClung (1912), avaliable for free download at Project Gutenberg.
The book is a
compilation
that includes the multi-chapter mini-novel, The Black Creek Stopping-House, and
seven short stories, most of them highlighting life in the
sparsely-settled areas of Western Canada. I was pleasantly
surprised and cheered by the sympathetic, kind-hearted practicality of
the author toward and with her characters. Hers was a spirit
I enjoyed having in my kitchen. I determined I need to try
some more of her works.
It seemed to me that the author
excelled in showing the contributions
of people wherever they happened to be, in their homes and with their
neighbors. In one story, a couple who were active in
the
Salvation Army Church while in the city exercise heart and
kindness
in their new rough frontier neighborhood. In another story, a female author at a speaking
engagement surprises her hosts
with her love of her own rural home and family
above time she could have with their (presumably) more
culturally-educated and
progressive
social group. One
story showed the emptiness and futility of small-town political games
and maneuvering.I must say that I was more than a bit surprised when I later did some quick research and found that Nellie McClung is best known for her role in political activism in the liberal issues of her day and is considered a "feminist." Upon reflection, I gather that McClung's writings attempt to show us that her political aims rested on a real heart for helping individuals find their place and their rest.
I look forward to learning more about Nellie McClung, not by what the encyclopediae say, but through another of her works.