Book Description

When Roughing It in the Bush was published in 1852, it created an international sensation, not only for Susanna Moodie’s “glowing narrative of personal incident,” but also for her firm determination to puncture the illusions European land-agents were circulating about life in Canada. This frank and fascinating chronicle details her harsh – and humorous – experiences in homesteading with her family in the woods of Upper Canada.

Part documentary, part psychological parable, Roughing It in the Bush is, above all, an honest account of how one woman coped not only in a new world, but, more importantly, with herself.

The New Canadian Library edition is an unabridged reprint of the complete original text.
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Reviews (2)

A Journey into the a Timeless Mind
Moodie puts her readers into her own thoughts, allowing you to see just how difficult it was for her to survive in Canada in the 1800's. Her character and personality lends itself well to her writing, allowing you to laugh when she laughs, anger when she is angry, and cry when she cries (maybe less the crying, it wasn't THAT wrenching). I would recommend reading it along with an audio version of the book. I've never done it before, but i actually liked it! Another review stated that the book got boring, and it really can be if you are too involved and are looking for a really gripping read. So to listen and follow along at your own leisure was rather relaxing. It added to the humour of some of the chapters, particularly the "borrowing and lending" scenario! Enjoy!

This is a story of courage by early pioneers to Canada.
Like the Lewis & Clark Expedition, early Canadian settlers had less understanding about what they were getting into than the men who stood on the moon. Susanna Moodie's story of her life in the Canadian bush in the middle years of the nineteenth century illustrate how precarious was their circumstances, how unselfishly some shared their labor and their good fortune and how utterly selfish and even dangerous was the behaviour of others. The story illustrates again how at base, there ar two types of people, those who take and those who give. As you read her story you will be amazed how this gentlewoman, accustomed to Victorian drawing rooms, lived, even prospered a little, bore and raised children in a one room windowless and doorless log cabin in all weathers and enduring visits from wild Indians, wolves and bears. Of her totally unsuitable husband she is endlessly understanding and forgiving, yet the reader will find him or herself continually driven to giving him a swift kick in the pants for his apparent total lack of sensitivity to his wife, while at the same time being viewed as an upstanding citizen. ... Read more

Book Description

Although Roughing It in the Bush appears on almost every course in Canadian literature, and her writing has been a staple for Canadian literary scholars and historians of succeeding generations, this is the first critical biography of Susanna Moodie. The product of many years of research, it should prove invaluable to anyone interested in Canadian literature and cultural history.

Peterman's illustrated biography introduces readers to the complex, driven, and sensitive woman who in 1832 left the cloistered world of middle-class life in England to take up homesteading in the backwoods of Ontario. Drawing upon the letters of Susanna Moodie as well as the full corpus of her work, Peterman looks at her rich and varied life, revealing her tendency to embrace extreme positions, and assessing the various sources of tension in her temperament, especially as they affected her written work.

Peterman begins with Moodie's ultimately failed attempt to fashion herself as a spokesperson for Canada's future after she had achieved some celebrity with the publication of Roughing It in the Bush (1852). The chapters that follow provide a larger context for understanding her work, and the effect that notoriety had upon her, as Peterman discusses Moodie's early life in England (1803-32), her experiences in the backwoods of Canada (1832-39), her years in Belleville (1840-69), and her widowhood (1869-85). ... Read more