25 Amazing Books Based in Canada
I love books and I love to read books that transport you around the world, whether it’s Paris or the Amazon. When a place becomes a character in a book it brings that place to life. I’ve even travelled to places because of the books I’ve read.
But one place always holds a special spot in my heart. The place I call home – Canada. And books based in Canada pique my curiosity like no others can. It doesn’t matter if they’re fiction, mystery novels, or memoirs.
So, if you’re in search of your next book here is a list of books set in Canada that include something for everyone’s interest.
This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through and purchasing through these links I may make a small commission to help run this blog.
Classic Books Based in Canada
There are countless Canadian classic books but I’ve chosen a few that I have read and some that even inspired me to better my writing. Many of the classics are written by famous Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood, Carol Shields, Robertson Davies, and many others. While others, like Tin Flute, you may not have heard of before. But all are worth the read.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
You’ll find the story of Anne of Green Gables at the top of any list of top books based in Canada. We all read it in school. And for many, it epitomizes Prince Edward Island and stirs up a longing to visit the quaint East Coast Island. It’s a classic coming of age story about a young orphan girl growing up in Prince Edward Island. Even Mark Twain described Anne as “the dearest, most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice.”
Get your copy here
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat
As someone who grew up passionate about animals, some of my favourite books about wildlife are by Canadian writer and environmentalist Farley Mowat, like Gorillas in the Mist (sometimes known as Virunga: The Passion of Dian Fossey) about her life and time spent studying mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Never Cry Wolf is about his study of wolves in Canada’s subarctic. It’s been said that this books was instrumental in changing the popular belief that wolves were nothing but savage creatures. And Mowat was quoted as saying, “We have doomed the wolf not for what it is but for what we deliberately and mistakenly perceive it to be: the mythologized epitome of a savage, ruthless killer—which is, in reality, not more than the reflected image of ourselves.”
Get your copy here
Call of the Wild by Jack London
For the adventurer, Jack London’s Call of the Wild will transport you to Canada’s Yukon and the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s. The main character is Buck, a family dog turned sled dog who learns to fight for his survival in the wild. It’s like a raw Canadian version of The Jungle Book, where animals come to life.
Get your copy here
The Tin Flute by Gabrielle Roy
For many, their favourite female Canadian author is Margaret Atwood, and for good reason. But for me, it’s Gabrielle Roy. She’s considered one of the most important Francophone writers in Canadian history and The Tin Flute is her first novel. The original French title was Bonheur d’occasion, meaning second-hand happiness. The story is about a family living in the Montreal neighbourhood of Saint-Henri and their struggles with poverty, war, and love.
Get your copy here
The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence
Another incredible Canadian female writer is Margaret Laurence. And if you’re looking for a classic Canadian novel set in Manitoba this is a good one to pick up. The Stone Angel is about a 90-year-old woman who is stubborn and grouchy and tells the story of her life. She is anything but ordinary and is one of the best characters in Canadian literature.
Get your copy here
The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood
If there is one person who the world over identifies as one of the most popular and talented Canadian authors it’s Margaret Atwood. And while you can pick any one of her books up and be transported to another time and place, I recommend her first novel, The Edible Woman. The book takes place in Toronto in the 1960s and is about a woman who leads a structured life but begins to unravel.
Get your copy here
Other Canadian classics include; The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields, Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, and Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock.
Looking for more destination specific books? Here’s a list of amazing books set in Paris!
Non-Fiction Books Set in Canada
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede
Newfoundland is one of Canada’s incredible places, for its nature, its history, and its beloved people. And for those who love the Broadway musical Come From Away, you’ll love this non-fiction book about Canada’s connection with September 11. The Day the World Came to Town is about the nearly 40 planes that had to be diverted from the US and landed in Gander, Newfoundland. It’s the true story of how a small town came together to welcome these nearly 7,000 strangers in and showed them the kindness of the Canadian spirit.
Get your copy here
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott
Speaking of spirt, in A Mind Spread Out on the Ground Alicia Elliott speaks about her personal experiences as a Tuscarora writer from Six National of the Grand River in Brantford, Ontario, and examines the systemic oppression of Indigenous people in Canada. This is a must-read, especially for those wanting to learn more about the past and present affairs of the Canadian Indigenous community and hopefully find a desire to listen and become an ally.
Get your copy here
The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole
In Desmond Cole’s The Skin We’re In he examines the struggle of racism in Canada and specifically in 2017, the year ironically celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday. He digs deep in to not only the struggle in his own life caused by his determination to fight for justice but other injustices faced by Indigenous people, black refugees, and more. This book is a real wake up call to the fact that racism is found everywhere, including Canada.
Get your copy here
Canadian Mystery Novels
Who doesn’t love a good mystery novel? Well, if you’re looking for a mystery book set in Canada you’re in luck! There is a ton! So, grab your sleuths cap and your Watson and pick up one of these Canadian mystery novels.
Old City Hall by Robert Rotenburgh
I had the fine pleasure of first learning about former lawyer turned writer, Robert Rotenburgh, when he came to do a reading in my small town library. I was sucked in by his wit and charm which I later found littered throughout his books. His novels are based in Ontario, primarily in Toronto, and are your typical who dunnits. My favourite is Old City Hall which casts Toronto as one of the characters herself. You can even check out the city’s landmarks that show up in the book through a cool feature on his website.
Get your copy here
Bones to Ashes (Temperance Brennan #10) by Kathy Reichs
You may know about Kathy Reichs and not even realize it. She’s the author who inspired the TV series Bones. Her Temperance Brennan book series is about the lead character, Brennan, and her quest to solve crimes through forensic anthropology. And Bones to Ashes, number ten in the series, takes place in New Brunswick, where after a young girl’s skeleton is discovered Brennan is on the hunt to find a killer.
Get your copy here
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1) by Louise Penny
Another great Canadian mystery series is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. This New York Times bestselling mystery series is set in Quebec. And Still Life is the first in the series following the distinguished Chief Inspector. The story takes place in a small village in Quebec where someone’s been killed. But was it an accident or murder.
Get your copy here
Human Remains (Hope Sze Medical Mysteries #5) by Melissa Yi
The Hope Sze Medical Mysteries is another series of books set in Canada, specifically Ottawa and Montreal. Melissa Yi is a doctor herself and pulls inspiration from her days in the ER. Human Remains is the fifth book in the series that follows Dr. Hope Sze, a doctor in residence, who always seems to be helping to solve crimes.
Get your copy here
Novels Based in Canada
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
Another successful Canadian novel is The Shipping News. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. The bulk of the story takes place in Newfoundland and follows the troubling life of a man who moves there with his daughters after a failed marriage. Annie Proulx really brings each character to life including Newfoundland.
Get your copy here
A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
Miriam Toews is another incredible Canadian author. And A Complicated Kindness has been praised as her best. The book’s set in rural Canada, in a Manitoba Mennonite community. The story focuses on a young teenage girl who is grappling to find her way in the world after her family is torn apart. It is both tragic and comic, which Toews always executes so well.
Get your copy here
Some Great Thing by Lawrence Hill
You’ll know him best for his acclaimed novel The Book of Negroes. But his debut novel, Some Great Thing is another great book from Lawrence Hill. This book is also set in Manitoba and revolves around a newspaper reporter and is full of a quirky cast of characters. But it also touches on some heavy topics like racism, Francophobia, and media corruption.
Get your copy here
Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
Are you looking to be transported to Canada’s north? Then consider picking up a copy of Late Nights on Air. The story follows Harry Boyd as he returns Yellowknife to manage a small radio station. Harry, along with a collection of other interesting characters, sets off on an adventure into Canada’s wilderness that will change their lives.
Get your copy here
Other great novels set in Canada include; The Cashier by Gabrielle Roy, Song of Batoche by Maia Caron, and Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden.
Memoirs of Canadians
Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road by Kate Harris
One of my recent additions to my favourite travel books is Kate Harris’s Lands of Lost Borders. Kate’s memoir follows her through her childhood growing up in rural Ontario and onto her whirlwind adventures around the world. Her infectious spirit, curiosity, and brilliant prose will tug at your own wonder for adventure.
Get your copy here
I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You by David Chariandy
I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You is a powerful book where Chariandy writes a letter to his 13-year-old daughter expressing his own story as a child of Black and South Asian migrants, growing up in Canada, but also reflects on how she can further develop her sense of identity and responsibility. His memoir pulls on all the hard issues a person of colour has to deal with but is also full of the hope only a father can have for a daughter.
Get your copy here
Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot
For those looking for a poetic-like Canadian memoir then grab a copy of Heart Berries. In Terese Marie Mailhot’s memoir, she shares of her tough childhood growing up on the Seabird Island Reserve in British Columbia and how writing helped her work through her trauma. This short but powerful memoir proves that we can all be in control of our own story.
Get your copy here
More Books Set in Canada
If you’re like me and browsing Goodreads in search of more books set in Canada then you’re in luck! There are so many the range from memoirs to mysteries.
Birding with Yeats by Lynn Thomson
One of the best books set in Ontario I’ve read lately is Birding with Yeats. Rating it, I give it five stars! At first glance I was drawn to the story profile about a mother and son’s adventures in birdwatching across southern Ontario and beyond.
Birding with Yeats by Lynn Thomson is a memoir about a mother who has a very tight bond with her son. He’s a quiet child and solitary by nature who has a passion for birding. To connect more with her son, she takes him on various birding watching trips.
Based in Toronto, they wander the ravines and parks in Toronto in search of birds. She takes him birding in British Columbia and even the Galapagos Islands. They also take road trips across Ontario to destinations like Pelee Island and Amherst Island.
Reading it after the loss of my mother though helped me see the bigger picture in this charming book. It’s ultimately a story about a mother who learns she has to let her son grow up. But at the same time, she needs to find herself.
I loved the quiet joy of the wonderous world of bird watching that is sprinkled throughout the book. And how shared hobbies bring people together.
Get your copy here
Cape Breton Road by D.R. MacDonald
If you’re looking for fiction books set in Nova Scotia, and specifically Cape Breton, then pick up a copy of Cape Breton Road by D.R. MacDonald.
Cape Breton Road is a novel about a nineteen-year-old boy who has to pay for his bad deeds. However, his fate, for him, is worse than prison. He is relocated back to the community where he was born, Cape Breton.
From the city streets near Boston to the remote landscape of Cape Breton, this is a twisting coming of age story. It’s mixed with angst, love, and hope.
The characters of the book are as striking as the wild and vivid landscape of Cape Breton.
Get your copy here
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
An awarding winning book, The Blind Assassin is one of the many iconic Canadian novels by Margaret Atwood.
Even after 20 plus years, this is still one of the best books set in Canada. It specifically takes place both in a fictional town in Ontario as well as in Toronto.
The Blind Assassin is a multi-layered story with a book within a book about two sisters. It’s narrated by one sister looking back on her life. She references various events of Canadian history that span the twentieth century.
With dark humour and expert drama, the story blends a mix of love, betrayal and sacrifice. You’ll be hooked from beginning to end with Atwood’s classic engaging prose that’s full of twists and turns.
Get your copy here
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
For those looking for fiction books set in Canada by Indigenous authors then I highly recommend Moon of Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice.
After hearing him give a reading, I knew I had to pick up a copy. I was blown away by the depth and despair yet strong thread of hope that bled through Moon of the Crusted Snow.
Moon of the Crusted Snow is an engaging page turner. It takes place in an Anishinaabe First Nations community in northern Ontario.
This dystopian novel revolves around the fragile community living on the reservation. All contact is with the outside world is mysteriously cut off.
Returning to their roots and traditions to survive is not easy. But the strength, integrity and resilience that comes is powerful.
The way Rice writes is both beautiful and thought-provoking. And this is so much more than a novel about an apocalyptic scenario.
It masterfully shares the sadness of the loss of culture that whites took from Indigenous people. But also shows the rising up over this with love, renewed community, openness, and hope.
Get your copy here
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
It’s always remarkable when a debut novel achieves award-winning status. And Crow Lake by Canadian author Mary Lawson did just that just after she published it!
Fun Fact: Mary Lawson is a distant relative of L. M. Montgomery.
Crow Lake is a story about four orphaned children living in a remote area of northern Ontario. One of the children narrates the story decades after while living in Toronto.
Themes of the book include family bonds, education and ties to the land. And like many books set in Canada, the land plays a vital role in the story.
The land mirrors the feelings and thoughts of its main character. Like when she describes northern Ontario while flying over, “miles and miles of nothing, of rocks and trees and lakes, beautiful and desolate and remote as the moon.”
Lawson has a masterful ability to craft characters we know and recognize. And her storytelling makes for an effortless read.
This is one of the must-read literary fiction books set in Canada!
Get your copy here
Whatever your preferred genre is, this list of the best books set in Canada has a book to delight you!
What are your favourite books set in Canada?
PIN FOR LATER REFERENCE!!
