Chaudière Falls

by David Mulholland

Description

On March 7, 1800, Philemon Wright, a farmer from Woburn, Massachusetts, arrives on the north shore of the Ottawa River in Hull Township. On September 1, 1860, on the south side of the river, Queen Victoria's son, Prince Albert Edward, lays the cornerstone for Canada's Parliament Buildings on Barrack Hill in Ottawa. While Chaudi?re Falls: A Novel of Dramatized History dramatizes the real events that unfold between those two dates-Wright's determination to establish a community of farmers, show more the political scheming that results in Ottawa becoming Canada's capital-it's also the story of immigrants struggling for survival in a new world. Among them, Jedediah Jansen, who is ten years old when his family arrives with Wright's party. Jed marries, enters the volatile timber business, is overwhelmed by both, and his life spirals out of control. The settlers' attempts to establish a peaceful community are further exacerbated when the government in York (Toronto) refuses to confer legal status on Bytown (Ottawa). And because its inhabitants resent Colonel By's civil authority, the lawless settlement is rampant with self-serving politics, religious bigotry, and barbaric violence. show less

Member Reviews

Featured Recent Thumbs

1 review

LynnB 2,370 reviews

It is obvious that the author has done a lot of research into the early history of Ottawa. However, he hasn't been able to use that research in order to tell a story; this book often reads more like a report of his findings. The writing is pedantic. Character development is weak and there is not enough plot to compensate for that.

On the plus side, there were times when the author evoked a real sense of the times, and incidents that were really well told. My favourites being a boxing match to settle a dispute over a lost cat, and the re-connection of two main characters (Jed and Betsy) at the end.

Jan 7, 2020

All Reviews