There are hundreds of books, periodicals, audio and video
recordings and other sources by or about members of the
Famous 5, their times and achievements. We have selected a
few that are most relevant and widely available.
Emily Murphy, Janey Canuck in the West (1910; Toronto:
McClelland and Stewart, 1975). Emily Murphy's book of travel
and description in western Canada.
Emily Murphy, The Black Candle (1922; Toronto: Coles,
1973). In this controversial book, Emily Murphy discloses
the harsh realities of drug addiction as she saw them,
especially from her perspective as a police magistrate.
Christine Mander, Emily Murphy: Rebel: First Female
Magistrate in the British Empire (Toronto: Simon and Pierre,
1985). This book chronicles the life and times of Emily
Murphy, and includes an excerpt from the only children's
book written by her.
Nellie McClung, In Times Like These (1915; Toronto: U of
Toronto Press, 1972). Essays by Nellie McClung on temperance
and female suffrage.
Nellie McClung, Purple Springs (1921; Toronto: U of
Toronto Press, 1992). Nellie McClung's third and final story
about Pearlie Watson, the oldest child of shanty Irish
immigrants settled in southwest Manitboa.
Nellie McClung, Clearing in the West: My Own Story (1935;
Toronto: Thomas Allen and Son, 1976). Volume 1 of her
autobiography, it begins with her childhood, and ends with
her marriage to Wes McClung.
Nellie McClung, The Stream Runs Fast: My Own Story (1945;
Toronto: Thomas Allen and Son, 1965). Volume 2 of her
autobiography, it begins with her life in Manitou following
her marriage and covers her public and political career.
Mary Hallett and Marilyn Davis, Firing the Heather: The
Life and Times of Nellie McClung (Saskatoon: Fifth House,
1993). This book details Nellie McClung's early years
growing up in Ontario and rural Manitoba, her passionate
involvement in social reform on the prairies and her later
life in British Columbia. It is also a comprehensive
re-evaluation of McClung as a writer, examining her work in
the context of feminist literary criticism.
Carol Hancock, Nellie McClung: No Small Legacy, 2nd ed.
(Kelowna: Northstone, 1996).
Stephen Leacock, The Social Criticism of Stephen Leacock,
ed. Alan Bowker (U of Toronto Press, 1996). This volume
represents the neglected aspect of Leacock's career as a
professor of political economy, gathering together his
writings on a range of subjects, including imperialism,
education and culture, religion and morality, feminism,
prohibition, and social justice.
Linda Rasmussen et al., comp. A Harvest Yet To Reap
(Toronto: Women's Press, 1976). This compilation of
articles, book excerpts and letters by the Famous 5 and
other writers provide excellent evidence of women's
experiences in western Canada and their struggles to improve
their lives and status.
Eliane Leslau Silverman, The Last Best West: Women on the
Alberta Frontier 1880-1930, Rev. ed. (Calgary: Fifth House,
1998). Elaine Silverman introduces the experiences of
numerous women who recall growing up in Alberta or coming to
the province and making their lives here. Some of these
women relate encounters with members of the Famous 5 or
their impressions of these women.
Catherine Cavanaugh and Randi Warne, eds., Standing on
New Ground: Women in Alberta (Edmonton: U of Alberta Press,
1993). Essays by leading women's historians explore the
activities and contributions that Alberta women have made to
prairie culture.
Grant MacEwan, Mighty Women: Stories of Western Canadian
Pioneers (Vancouver/Toronto: Greystone, 1995). This book
provides biographical sketches on each of the Famous 5 and
other western Canadian women. It includes significant
descriptions of the achievements and accomplishments of
these women.
Sydney Sharpe, The Guilded Ghetto: Women and Political
Power in Canada (Toronto: Harper Collins, 1994). This book
provides a look at what came after the 'Persons' Case in
Canada and provides a useful bibliography for women's
political history. It provides profiles on the 'Persons'
Case and each of the Famous 5.
Nancy Millar, The Famous 5: Emily Murphy and the Case of
the Missing Persons (Cochrane: The Western Heritage Centre,
1999). This book details the story behind the history of the
'Persons' Case and the important role that Emily Murphy
played in initiating it. It provides a chapter on each of
the Famous 5 and discusses some issues surrounding the
Famous 5.
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