The Top 100 Canadian Books of All Time
Greatest Canadian books?
As a proud Canadian as well as a passionate literature buff, I’ve often tried to find the definitive answer to the question, “What are the greatest Canadian books of all time?” The problem is, it’s not really a question that seems to be explored very often on the literary scene. Most people (even most Canadians) seem to think the Canadian literary pool consists of Margaret Atwood, Anne of Green Gables, maybe Alice Munro, and oh yeah, that tiger-on-a-boat movie was based on a Canadian novel, right?
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating. But I’ve seen it way too often – someone in Canada is asked about Canadian authors, and those are the only examples they can think of. Or someone outside of Canada decides to read some Canadian lit, those are the first authors or titles they reach for, and they seldom branch out beyond them. So, I’ve made it my mission to spread the word – Canada has a rich and diverse literary community with lots of amazing things to say!
Where I found them, and how I ranked them
Since I’ve barely scratched the surface of the Canadian canon myself, I couldn’t rely on my own knowledge and opinions to make this list. So I looked around for “Top Canadian Books” lists and did find a few from places such as CBC, 49th Shelf, Kobo, The Globe & Mail, The Greatest Books, and Goodreads. These sources each had their own ways of determining their picks (for example, Kobo ranked according to their stats on what people were downloading and reading, while 49th Shelf and Goodreads allowed the public to up-vote, down-vote, and/or add their own choices), so each list was very different.
I decided to combine them all using a points system – I’d take the top 100 of each ranked list (some of them were a few hundred books long!) and assign 10 points to numbers 1-10, 9 points to numbers 11-20, and so on until giving 1 point to numbers 91-100. If the list wasn’t ranked, such as CBC’s Novels That Make You Proud to Be Canadian and The Great Canadian Reading List, I gave each book 2 points equally. Then I sorted through all the short-listed books for Canada Reads, The Giller Prize, and The Governor-General’s Literary Award and gave each runner-up 3 points and each winner 5 points. (Yes, this was all a LOT of work! 😅)
Further ranking shenanigans
Of course, a lot of books ended up with the same amount of points, which meant I did have to use my own judgment in ranking ties. In these cases, I mostly went with my gut and a feeling for how many times the books had appeared on lists, how much I’ve heard people talking about them out in the wild, and occasionally my own personal preferences. The top 15 or so are solid, but a lot of the ones below those are a rough estimation placement-wise.
I can, however, definitively say that each of these 100 books appeared on more than one of the lists I consulted. While each list disagreed on how to rank these books, they’re clearly all among Canada’s best.
Note: I’m only going by the results of Anglophone lists, so even though Francophone books are represented on this list, it’s their English translations that I’ll be linking to.
Honourable mentions
I thought it would only be fair to add a few honourable mentions, since a lot of the lists I used to form my rankings were compiled a few years back, giving newer books less of a chance to gain as much traction. These are 12 strong contenders that didn’t quite make the cut, but might have if the lists were all made recently:
The Marrow Thieves – Cherie Dimaline (2017)
The Lightkeeper’s Daughters – Jean E. Pendziwol (2017)
The Party – Robyn Harding (2017)
Brother – David Chariandy (2017)
Women Talking – Miriam Toews (2018)
Washington Black – Esi Edugyan (2018)
Jonny Appleseed – Joshua Whitehead (2018)
Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club – Megan Gail Coles (2019)
Bunny – Mona Awad (2019)
Greenwood – Michael Christie (2019)
What Strange Paradise – Omar El Akkad (2021)
The Sleeping Car Porter – Suzette Mayr (2022)
Get to the list already!
Without further ado, here are the top 100 Canadian books of all time! (Each title is linked to the book’s Goodreads page, in case you want to learn more about it.)
100. Five Little Indians – Michelle Good
Published in 2020. Historical fiction about five Indigenous children’s horrific experiences in residential school. For such a recent publication, it managed to squeeze onto the list because it won the Governor General’s Award in 2020 and Canada Reads in 2022.
99. The Studhorse Man – Robert Kroetsch
Published in 1969. A “Canadian odyssey” about Hazard Lepage, the last of the studhorse men, as he tries to find the perfect mare for the last blue stallion. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 1969.
98. The Outlander – Gil Adamson
Published in 2007. Historical fiction about a young woman who flees across the West, pursued by bloodhounds, after murdering her husband. This was the author’s debut novel, and has been compared to early Cormac McCarthy.
97. Rockbound – Frank Parker Day
Published in 1928. Historical fiction about Nova Scotia’s South Shore, which follows optimistic dreamer David Jung as he battles the forces of nature and human weakness. Winner of Canada Reads 2005.
96. A Student of Weather – Elizabeth Hay
Published in 2000. Historical fiction set during the 1930s Dust Bowl in Saskatchewan. Two sisters fall in love with the same man when he visits their father’s farm. This was the author’s debut novel, nominated for the Giller Prize in 2000.
95. The Immaculate Conception – Gaétan Soucy
Published in 1994. An artistic yet bleak novel about the aftermath of a fire that killed 75 members of a small Quebec parish. Giller Prize nominee.
94. The Great Victorian Collection – Brian Moore
Published in 1975. A surreal fantasy in which a man dreams that an open-air market full of priceless Victorian objects springs up outside his window, and when he wakes, his dream has come true.
93. The Progress of Love – Alice Munro
Published in 1986. One of several short story collections from this Nobel Prize-winning author.
92. By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept – Elizabeth Smart
Published in 1945. A “work of sheer genius” that relates the author’s years-long affair with poet George Barker.
91. Sweetland – Michael Crummey
Published in 2014. When the inhabitants of a remote Newfoundland island find that there aren’t enough fish left in their waters to sustain their way of life, one old man refuses the compensation package and relocation that everyone else is willing to accept. Nominated for the Governor General’s Award in 2014.
90. Green Grass, Running Water – Thomas King
Published in 1993. Indigenous magical realism abounds as several characters head to the Blackfoot reservation for a ceremony, not realizing that a trickster and his hilariously strange companions are coming, too.
89. Virginia Wolf – Kyo MacLear and Isabelle Arsenault
Published in 2011. This children’s picture book is loosely based on the childhood of author Virginia Woolf and her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell, as Vanessa tries to cheer up her sister Virginia from her “wolfish” mood.
Published in 2015. Indigenous fiction about Bernice, a Cree woman who experiences a tragedy and leaves her Alberta home for Gibsons, BC, in search of an actor from the TV show The Beachcombers.
87. Home Truths – Mavis Gallant
Published in 1981. This is a Governor General’s Award-winning collection of short stories that turns a darkly witty eye onto human nature.
86. The Cure for Death by Lightning – Gail Anderson-Dargatz
Published in 1996. Magical realism meets historical fiction in the story of 15-year-old Beth Weeks, who has a very eventful summer in WWII-era BC surrounded by strange friends and neighbours, and a mother who communes with the dead. This was the author’s debut novel, and it was nominated for the Giller Prize.
Published in 2004. A young-adult, LGBT novel about a bullied 13-year-old named Peter Paddington, whose nipples start talking to him and threatening to let everyone know his secret desires.
84. Come, Thou Tortoise – Jessica Grant
Published in 2009. An offbeat, humorous novel about Audrey, who has to leave her “opinionated” tortoise with a friend while she travels to Newfoundland to see her sick father. Partly narrated by Audrey, partly by the tortoise, the story becomes part mystery, part adventure, and all charm.
83. Barney’s Version – Mordecai Richler
Published in 1997. Barney is about to be accused of a murder that he denies committing, so he sits down to write his memoir and give his own version of events. This one won the Giller Prize along with a whole host of other awards.
82. Never Cry Wolf: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves – Farley Mowat
Published in 1963. When the Canadian government decided to send someone to the Arctic to find proof that wolves were killing off the caribou, they made the mistake of sending Farley Mowat, who wasn’t interested in telling them what they wanted to hear. This book opened Canada’s eyes to the ravages of unchecked hunters and trappers, and the importance of wolves to the ecosystem. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this book saved wolves from extinction.
81. Cat’s Eye – Margaret Atwood
Published in 1988. A controversial artist returns to her hometown of Toronto and has to confront memories of her past and come to terms with her own identity.
80. Do Not Say We Have Nothing – Madeleine Thien
Published in 2016. Historical fiction about three generations of a musical Chinese (and later Canadian) family, as they try to hold onto their art and themselves in the face of tragedy and political upheavals from the Cultural Revolution to Tianenmen Square. Is there a literary award this book wasn’t nominated for? It won the Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Award, among others.
79. Whale Music – Paul Quarrington
Published in 1989. An alien appears to a has-been rock star to help him with what he believes will be his masterpiece album, “Whale Music.” Or is he just that high? Loosely based on Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 1989.
78. The Fionavar Tapestry series – Guy Gavriel Kay
Published in 1984-1986. In this fantasy trilogy, five students from the University of Toronto meet a wizard and are transported to a magical land where they get caught up in a fight between the dark and the light. The individual books are The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, and The Darkest Road.
77. Fifteen Dogs – André Alexis
Published in 2015. Hermes and Apollo make a bet that results in them granting human intelligence to a group of dogs at a Toronto veterinary clinic, just to see whether animals would deal with intelligence better or worse than humans do. Winner of the 2015 Giller Prize and the 2017 Canada Reads.
76. Light Lifting – Alexander MacLeod
Published in 2010. A collection of urban short stories that explore the human psyche as characters experience tragedy and face fears. Giller Prize nominee.
75. Neuromancer – William Gibson
Published in 1984. Dystopia set in a digitized future, where a data-thief is recruited to take on an artificial intelligence orbiting Earth. Nominee and/or winner of just about every scifi award going.
74. The Girl Who Was Saturday Night – Heather O’Neill
Published in 2014. Set in Montreal, as brother-and-sister twins try to escape the notoriety of their larger-than-life father, who used them as children in his constant quest for stardom. Nominated for both the Giller and the Women’s Prizes.
73. The Robber Bride – Margaret Atwood
Published in 1993. Inspired by the Brothers Grimm tale “The Robber Bridegroom,” this is the story of Zenia, a woman who steals other women’s husbands, boyfriends, money, and joy. Winner of several literary awards, and nominated for the Governor General’s Award.
72. The Jade Peony – Wayson Choy
Published in 1995. In the author’s debut novel, three siblings struggle with their identities growing up in an immigrant Chinese family in Vancouver. Named one of the 100 Most Important Books in Canadian History by the Literary Review of Canada.
71. The Antagonist – Lynn Coady
Published in 2011. Growing up, Gordon Rankin was reluctantly used as an “enforcer” both on and off the hockey rink. Years later, he’s trying to put his past behind him, until a former friend writes a book in which Gordon plays the villain. Giller Prize nominee.
70. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures – Vincent Lam
Published in 2005. A collection of interwoven short stories based on the author’s real experiences as a doctor. Winner of the Giller Prize in 2006.
69. Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town – Stephen Leacock
Published in 1912. Humorous little stories of small town life in Mariposa, Ontario. Stephen Leacock was a world-famous humourist in the early 20th century.
68. Emily of New Moon – L.M. Montgomery
Published in 1923. From the author of Anne of Green Gables, Emily Starr is an orphan living with her maiden aunts and trying to hold onto her poetic spirit in the face of Aunt Elizabeth’s strict rules. There’s more darkness in Emily’s world than in Anne’s, perhaps reflecting the ways in which the real world had changed in the 15 years between their respective publications.
67. Through Black Spruce – Joseph Boyden
Published in 2008. A Cree bush pilot lies in a coma while his niece sits by his bed, and slowly the reader starts to learn the secrets of their family’s turbulent history. Can be read as a standalone novel, but it’s technically part 2 of the Bird Family trilogy, with books 1 and 3 appearing further on in this list. Giller Prize winner in 2008.
66. The Shipping News – Annie Proulx
Published in 1993. Annie Proulx is actually American, but her ancestry is French-Canadian, and she set this novel in Newfoundland, where an American newspaperman moves to his ancestral home in the hopes of reclaiming his life after his marriage meets a tragic end. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction among other high honours, so yeah, we Canadians are willing to adopt Annie Proulx as one of us!
65. The Blue Castle – L.M. Montgomery
Published in 1926. One of Montgomery’s rare adult romances, this is the story of Valancy Stirling, a 29-year-old spinster who has just been told that she doesn’t have long left to live. With a YOLO spirit that’s a century ahead of its time, Valancy sets out find adventure and maybe even fall in love.
64. Brown Girl in the Ring – Nalo Hopkinson
Published in 1998. Scifi/fantasy dystopia in which a young girl must bargain with gods to save her city from the rich who are preying on the poor. This was the author’s first novel, and it made a huge splash in the scifi world.
63. Bellevue Square – Michael Redhill
Published in 2017. Jean Mason hears she has a doppelganger who has been hanging out in Kensington Market, so she starts watching the area, waiting for a glimpse. Then the people who were helping her look go missing. Described as a “darkly comic literary thriller,” this was the winner of the Giller Prize in 2017.
62. De Niro’s Game – Rawi Hage
Published in 2006. Two young Lebanese men are faced with a choice – stay in war-torn Beirut and seek power through crime, or leave and live the rest of their days in exile. This historical fiction was nominated for the Giller Prize and several other awards.
Published in 2010. Jack is a 5-year-old boy who has spent his entire life in one room with only Ma for company, except when Old Nick visits Ma at night and Jack has to hide in the wardrobe. What happens when Ma tells him there’s a big wide world outside? Only one of the best novels of all time, in my opinion.
60. Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing – Tomson Highway
Published in 1989. A play involving seven men from the fictional Wasychigan Hill Indian Reservation who talk about their big plans for the future and deal with a Nanabush trickster. It’s a companion piece to another of Highway’s famous plays, The Rez Sisters.
59. Bone and Bread – Saleema Nawaz
Published in 2013. When Beena’s sister dies under mysterious circumstances, Beena’s search for answers forces her to confront painful memories of her sister’s anorexia, their shared tragedies, and Beena’s own teenage pregnancy. This was a Canada Reads nominee in 2016.
58. Not Wanted on the Voyage – Timothy Findley
Published in 1984. This is a bizarre reimagining of the story of Noah’s Ark, mostly told through the perspective of a stowaway blind cat. Equal parts whimsical and disturbing, this book made it to the Governor General’s Award shortlist in 1984.
57. Half-Blood Blues – Esi Edugyan
Published in 2011. Historical fiction in which a man returns to Berlin 50 years after his friend, a Black cabaret star, was arrested by the Nazis and never heard from again. Winner of the Giller Prize, nominated for the Governor General’s Award, and a Canada Reads finalist in 2014.
56. The Way the Crow Flies – Ann-Marie Macdonald
Published in 2003. Historical fiction meets murder mystery in the story of 8-year-old Madeleine, whose world is shaken by a local murder while she lives with her family on an air base in the 1960s. Giller Prize nominee.
Published in 2008. A man is rescued against his will from his attempt at suicide and is forced to attend therapy sessions, where we learn about the violence and traumas of his childhood in war-torn Lebanon and his struggles as an immigrant in Montreal. Giller Prize and Canada Reads nominee.
54. The Stone Carvers – Jane Urquhart
Published in 2001. Historical fiction that spans three decades and centers around stone carvers in Europe and Canada before, during, and after World War I. A fictionalized account of how the Vimy Ridge memorial statue came to be. Giller Prize nominee.
53. The Break – Katherena Vermette
Published in 2016. A young Métis woman believes she witnesses a crime one night while looking out her window onto “the Break,” a bare piece of land between blocks of houses in her Winnipeg neighbourhood. We slowly learn through multiple interconnected narrators what did or did not happen, as the ripple effects move through several generations of the same family. Canada Reads nominee in 2017.
52. The Englishman’s Boy – Guy Vanderhaeghe
Published in 1996. A legendary cowboy narrates his story to a Hollywood screenwriter in the 1920s, taking us on a journey from Montana to the Canadian plains. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 1996, and nominated for the Giller Prize.
Published in 1990. This is high fantasy set in world where a cruel king’s black magic has so cursed his land that the people can’t even speak its name, Tigana.
50. Anil’s Ghost – Michael Ondaatje
Published in 2000. Anil is a young Sri Lankan woman returning to her homeland after an education abroad, tasked with discovering the source of organized murder campaigns taking place across the island nation. Winner of the Giller Prize in 2000.
49. Beautiful Losers – Leonard Cohen
Published in 1966. While mainly known for his songwriting, Leonard Cohen also wrote this experimental, erotic novel in which hell is an apartment in Montreal and redemption is a virgin Iroquois saint.
48. The Bishop’s Man – Linden MacIntyre
Published in 2009. Historical fiction set in 1990s Cape Breton, when a priest who specializes in secreting other priests away from scandal meets a troubled 18-year-old boy who may have been one of the victims to whom he has denied justice. Winner of the Giller Prize in 2009.
Published in 1976. A shy librarian is sent to a remote Canadian island to inventory a dead man’s estate and finds a bear chained inside the house… and she falls in love with it. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 1976.
Published in 2002. Reta thinks her and her family’s life is stable and happy, until her daughter drops out of university and takes to panhandling on the streets of Toronto with a sign reading “Goodness.” Winner of the Giller Prize and several other awards.
45. Nikolski – Nicolas Dickner
Published in 2001. Cartography, dumpster-diving, piracy, a book with no cover, and a broken compass connect three seemingly unconnected people in this intricate and charming tale set in Montreal. Winner of Canada Reads 2010.
44. The Tin Flute – Gabrielle Roy
Published in 1945. A true Canadian classic about a family’s struggle and determination in the slums of Montreal during WWII. This was Roy’s debut novel, and it won the Governor General’s Award in 1947.
43. Lullabies for Little Criminals – Heather O’Neill
Published in 2006. In O’Neill’s debut novel, Baby is the 12-year-old daughter of a heroin addict, and she has captured the attention of a local pimp. A heartwrenching but ultimately hopeful look at life on the streets. Governor General’s Award nominee and Canada Reads winner in 2007.
42. Clara Callan – Richard B. Wright
Published in 2001. Historical fiction about two sisters with very different lives in the 1930s: Nora heads to New York wanting to be a star, while Clara stays in small-town Canada and a traditional lifestyle while still dreaming of adventure. Winner of the Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Award in 2001.
Published in 2004. Short stories about the betrayals and surprises of love. Winner of the Giller Prize in 2004.
40. The Blind Assassin – Margaret Atwood
Published in 2000. Historical fiction set in the 1930s and 40s, which contains a science fiction novel about a blind assassin within the story of Iris, whose sister has just driven herself off a bridge. Winner of the Booker Prize in 2000 and several other awards.
Published in 2002. A drama set in the badlands of Ontario, about family love, resentment, and misunderstandings, full of tragedy and humour and heart. The author’s debut novel, winner of several awards.
38. Fugitive Pieces – Anne Michaels
Published in 1996. Historical fiction about a Jewish boy who survives the holocaust in Poland and is taken to Greece and later to Canada, and who grows up trying to cling to memories of his lost family. Giller Prize nominee in 1996, and winner of several other awards.
37. Who Do You Think You Are? – Alice Munro
Published in 1978. Connected short stories that span decades in the lives of Rose and her stepmother, Flo, as they grapple with questions of identity and self-perception. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 1978, and also a Booker Prize nominee.
Published in 2005. The first book in the popular Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series set in small-town Quebec. A dead body shows up in the woods on Thanksgiving weekend in a town where crime hardly ever happens. Winner of several debut-novel and mystery awards.
35. Lives of Girls and Women – Alice Munro
Published in 1971. This is the only novel from famed short-story writer Alice Munro, which tells the semi-autobiographical story of a girl coming of age in rural Ontario in the 1940s.
34. Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture – Douglas Coupland
Published in 1991. In this modern-day Canterbury Tales, a group of twenty-somethings described as “underemployed, overeducated, intensely private and unpredictable” tell each other stories while communing in the California desert. This was the book that popularized the name Gen X for the post-Baby-Boom generation.
33. Mercy Among the Children – David Adams Richards
Published in 2000. A 12-year-old boy pushes his friend off a church roof in a moment of anger, and instantly makes a deal with God – let her live, and he’ll never harm another soul. Giller Prize winner in 2000.
32. Three Day Road – Joseph Boyden
Published in 2005. First book in the Bird Family trilogy, though each can stand alone. In this historical fiction, an Oji-Cree woman paddles her canoe on a 3-day journey to bring home her son, who has been wounded in battle in the Great War. This was Boyden’s first novel, and it won several awards.
31. No Great Mischief – Alistair MacLeod
Published in 1999. This novel jumps around in time through flashbacks and stories from the arrival of the MacDonald clan to Canadian shores in 1779, to the childhood of a group of MacDonald siblings on Cape Breton, to their young adulthood in northern Ontario mines, to their present-day interactions when they meet up in Toronto. The only novel by short-story writer Alistair MacLeod, which won several awards.
30. Station Eleven – Emily St John Mandel
Published in 2014. A dystopia where a severe flu pandemic has decimated the world’s population, and a troupe of actors travels from outpost to outpost performing for survivors around the Great Lakes region. Winner or nominee of almost everything.
29. The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje
Published in 1992. Historical romance set during WWII, where a nameless Englishman is badly burned in a plane crash in Italy, and the nurse who tends him falls in love with him. Winner of the Governor General’s Award, the Booker Prize, and several other literary honours.
28. The Inconvenient Indian – Thomas King
Published in 2012. What does it mean to be “Indian” in North America? With a biting sense of wit and irony, Thomas King explores this question by recounting the history of the Indigenous peoples of North America. Winner of several awards including the Governor General’s Award, and a Canada Reads nominee in 2015.
Published in 1981. Part historical fiction, part autobiographical, this is the story of a Japanese-Canadian family’s years in an internment camp during WWII, a shameful chapter of Canada’s history that should never be forgotten.
26. Indian Horse – Richard Wagamese
Published in 2012. In a meeting for alcoholics, Saul Indian Horse recounts his experiences as a northern Ojibway in residential school and in hockey culture, and all the abuse and racism but also moments of joy that have led him to this point. Canada Reads nominee in 2013.
25. Late Nights on Air – Elizabeth Hay
Published in 2007. Four people meet at a remote radio station in Yellowknife and decide to take a canoe trip together through the Arctic wilderness. Winner of the Giller Prize in 2007.
24. Two Solitudes – Hugh Maclennan
Published in 1945. A family saga involving French-Canadian Athanase, his Irish wife Kathleen, and their son Paul, who struggles to find a balance between his Francophone and Anglophone identities. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 1945, and a Canada Reads nominee in 2013.
23. Monkey Beach – Eden Robinson
Published in 2000. When Lisamarie’s brother goes missing, she sets off for Monkey Beach, a favourite childhood spot famous for its sasquatch sightings, in hopes of finding him. Giller Prize nominee in 2000.
22. The Birth House – Ami McKay
Published in 2006. Historical fiction spanning the 20th century, chronicling the struggles of midwives in the wilds of Nova Scotia. The author’s debut novel, which won numerous awards.
21. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
Published in 1995. Historical fiction set in India in 1975. The government has declared a State of Emergency, and four strangers are thrust together in one small apartment. Winner of several awards including the Giller and Booker Prizes, and a Canada Reads nominee in 2002.
20. Ru – Kim Thúy
Published in 2009. “Ru” means “lullaby” in Vietnamese and “river” in French, and this novel flows along a young girl’s journey from Vietnam to a Malaysian refugee camp and finally to Quebec, through to her adulthood as a mother of a child with autism. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 2010 and Canada Reads in 2015, among other honours, and a Giller Prize nominee.
19. Oryx and Crake – Margaret Atwood
Published in 2003. A scifi dystopia following Snowman, who may be the last human alive on Earth, as he travels through the ruins of a city and mourns the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the woman they loved, Oryx. Nominated for the Giller and Booker Prizes.
18. The Wars – Timothy Findley
Published in 1977. Considered to be one of the best novels written about WWI, this is the story of 19-year-old Robert Ross and his experiences in the nightmare that was humanity’s first taste of trench warfare. Winner of the Governor General’s Award.
17. The Sisters Brothers – Patrick deWitt
Published in 2011. A darkly comic homage to the classic Western, in which Eli and Charlie Sisters, murdering henchmen to the powerful Commodore, are sent on a quest to kill a prospector and have adventures along the way. Winner of the Governor General’s Award, nominated for the Giller and Booker Prizes, and recognized in some way by basically every other literary prize in existence.
Published in 2009. In 1982, an oil rig off the Newfoundland coast sank, killing all 84 men on board. Years later, the widow of one of those men is still living that February over and over in her mind, until her adult son calls her for help, forcing her to rejoin the present. Winner of Canada Reads 2013.
Published in 2001. A fantasy adventure following Pi, a young boy immigrating from India to Canada with his family and several animals from their zoo. When their ship sinks, Pi and a lifeboat full of zoo animals are the only survivors. Governor General’s Award nominee, winner of the Man Booker Prize and several other honours, and a Canada Reads nominee in 2003.
14. Anne of Green Gables series – L.M. Montgomery
Published in 1908-1939. Anne Shirley is an orphan from Nova Scotia who is mistakenly adopted by a brother and sister in Prince Edward Island. Anne’s charm and spirit of wonder win them over, and they decide to keep her. Many delightful adventures ensue. There are 8 books in the Anne series, which follow Anne through her childhood, adolescence, university education, several years of being a teacher, and wife-and-motherhood, when she passes the torch to her children, who are the protagonists of the final 2 volumes. Each of the novels appeared on multiple lists both separately and together, so I decided to rank them all as high as the one that started it all. In order, the books are Anne of Green Gables; Anne of Avonlea; Anne of the Island; Anne of Windy Poplars; Anne’s House of Dreams; Anne of Ingleside; Rainbow Valley; Rilla of Ingleside.
13. The Diviners – Margaret Laurence
Published in 1974. Historical fiction about Morag Gunn, an independent woman who grew up in a small Canadian prairie town that made her tough and distanced from the world, but who becomes determined to find love. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 1974.
12. The Orenda – Joseph Boyden
Published in 2013. The final book in the Bird Family trilogy, but can be read as a standalone. This historical fiction follows Bird, a warrior of the Huron Nation who kidnaps a young Iroquois girl after his own daughter is murdered, and Christophe, a missionary who lives among the tribe to learn their ways. Winner of Canada Reads 2014, and nominated for the Governor General’s Award and the Giller Prize, among others.
11. The Stone Angel – Margaret Laurence
Published in 1964. As 90-year-old Hagar Shipley struggles with the idea of being sent to a nursing home, we’re told the story of her life, from rebellious young bride to grieving mother. Canada Reads nominee in 2002.
10. A Complicated Kindness – Miriam Toews
Published in 2004. In this darkly witty coming-of-age novel set in a Mennonite town on the Manitoba plains, 16-year-old Nomi tells the story of how fundamentalist religion destroyed her family, one member at a time. Winner of the Governor General’s Award in 2004 and Canada Reads in 2006, nominated for the Giller Prize and many others.
9. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams – Wayne Johnston
Published in 1998. This historical fiction spans five decades between Newfoundland and New York City, following Joey Smallwood, a real-life Newfoundland premier, and fictional journalist Sheilagh Fielding, whose life is inexplicably intertwined with his. Nominated for the Giller Prize in 1998 and Canada Reads in 2003.
Published in 2010. Historical fiction beginning in 1968, when an intersex baby is born in a rural hunting community in Labrador. The baby’s parents decide to raise the child as a boy, but he can’t stop thinking about the girl, Annabel, that he might have been. Nominated for the Giller Prize, Canada Reads (2014), and the Governor General’s Award.
7. The Stone Diaries – Carol Shields
Published in 1993. Historical fiction about Daisy Stone Goodwill, an ordinary woman who finds it difficult to understand her place in life until she attempts to write a novel about herself. Winner of the Governor General’s Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
6. Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood
Published in 1996. This historical fiction is based on the true story of Grace Marks, a maid convicted of murdering her employers and sentenced to life in prison. Since she claims not to remember her crime, a psychologist attempts to help her recover the memories. Winner of the Giller Prize and nominated for the Governor General’s Award in 1996.
5. The Book of Negroes – Lawrence Hill
Published in 2007. This historical fiction follows Aminata Diallo as she is abducted as a child in West Africa, is sold into slavery in South Carolina, and tries to regain her freedom. Winner of Canada Reads 2009, nominated for the Giller Prize in 2007.
4. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
Published in 1985. In this dystopian future, the United States is known as the Republic of Gilead, and religious fundamentalism controls every aspect of people’s lives, especially the women known as Handmaids, who are the few women who are still able to bear children. Winner of the Governor General’s Award, nominated for the Giller Prize and Canada Reads, and many other literary honours.
3. In the Skin of a Lion – Michael Ondaatje
Published in 1987. Somewhat of a companion piece to The English Patient, this historical fiction takes place in Toronto in the 1920s and 30s, interweaving true events of the time as immigrants do the hard, unsung work of building the city. The first winner of Canada Reads in 2002.
2. Fall on Your Knees – Ann-Marie Macdonald
Published in 1996. This family saga follows four generations of the eccentric Piper family, from Cape Breton Island to the frontlines of WWI to New York City. They’re a family full of terrible secrets but also of unbreakable bonds. Nominee and/or winner of several literary awards, and also featured on Oprah’s Book Club in 2002.
1. Fifth Business – Robertson Davies
Published in 1970. The first book in The Deptford Trilogy, this historical fiction follows Ramsay, a man who survived Passchendaele in WWI and received a Victoria Cross. Angered by the dismissive way his retirement from teaching is announced in a local newspaper, Ramsay writes a letter to the headmaster telling the story of his life, the course of which was defined by the throwing of a fateful snowball. Surprisingly, this novel did not win any prestigious literary awards, yet it ranked high enough on every best-of-Canadian-literature list to end up with more points than any other book! Robertson Davies died in 1995 at the age of 82, a Companion of the Order of Canada and widely considered to be one of Canada’s most brilliant writers.
How many of these 100 amazing books have you read? Are there any that have caught your interest? Do you have a favourite Canadian book that didn’t make the list? Please let me know your thoughts on this list in the comments!
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