Wayne Fraser's examination of the works of eighteen women writers in English Canada's history demonstrates how Canadian women's literature provides rich insight into the social and political development of the country. Fraser approaches the subject as a literary critic, arguing that these narratives were constructed within a certain social and political framework that resulted in a body of literature whose themes focus on the relationship of the individual to the larger community, an essentially feminine orientation.
The study, arranged chronologically from colonial times through the 1980s, parallels women's personal experiences with Canada's political development. In-depth analyses of works of such notables as Frances Brooke, Ethel Wilson, and Margaret Atwood support Fraser's contention that the literature, as a forum where women voiced their personal concerns regarding marriage, colonialism, independence, and feminism, reflects and comments on Canada's political identity as a country with a continuing commitment to compromise, cooperation, and international peace. A bibliography and general subject index complete this volume, which will furnish historians and critics of women's literature with a new understanding of the topic.