Canada is vast, diverse, and full of stories. If you love getting lost in a book that brings a place to life, this list is for you.
These novels are set across the country, from the streets of Montreal and Toronto to the wilderness of the North, the coasts of Newfoundland, and the Prairies. They capture different eras and experiences, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but always full of life.
Get ready to discover some incredible Canadian settings through these pages.
This book throws you into 1940s Montreal alongside Duddy Kravitz, a young Jewish man bursting with ambition. His grandfather once told him, “A man without land is nobody,” and Duddy takes that to heart.
He’s determined to make a name for himself, and he launches one scheme after another. You watch him hustle, charm, and sometimes stumble as he chases success and respect, and you have to wonder just how far his relentless drive will push him.
Meet Jake Hersh, a Montreal filmmaker who now lives in London. His life gets complicated when a scandal pulls him into the spotlight. This event forces Jake to look back at his past, his Jewish roots, and his enigmatic cousin Joey.
Joey is this mythical, adventurous figure, maybe even a hero who hunted Nazis, quite different from Jake’s own troubled reality.
The novel jumps between Jake’s anxious present and rich memories of Montreal and London after the war, with Richler’s signature mix of humor and sharp observation.
Step into the Saint-Henri neighbourhood of Montreal during the 1940s with this powerful story. Florentine Lacasse works as a waitress and dreams of escaping the poverty that grips her family. The Second World War looms large.
Caught in difficult relationships and challenging choices, Florentine’s journey reflects a deeply moving portrait of a family’s struggle, sacrifice, and hope.
This classic novel tackles the divide between English and French Canada in early 20th-century Quebec.
Paul Tallard bridges two worlds—a father seeking progress and a community clinging to tradition—exploring the tensions and misunderstandings that define a nation split by language and culture.
This graphic novel tells the tragic true story of Chanie Wenjack. In 1966, twelve‐year‐old Chanie escapes a residential school in northern Ontario, embarking on a heart-wrenching journey along the railway tracks.
With haunting illustrations, the book sheds light on the cruelty of the residential school system and Chanie’s brave, desperate walk home.
This vital graphic novel shares the story of Betsy, a residential school survivor.
Through her recollections, we learn about the trauma endured and the remarkable resilience required to survive, revealing the deep strength found in culture and community amidst a dark chapter in Canadian history.
Connecting two compelling stories, the novel follows Will Bird—a Cree bush pilot in a coma reflecting on a violent past—and his niece Annie, who leaves her remote community in search of her missing sister.
Their intertwined narratives explore identity, survival, and the conflict between traditional and modern ways of life.
Unfolding through Iris Chase Griffen’s memories, this intricate novel layers family secrets with a novel-within-a-novel about a blind assassin and his lover on a distant planet.
As Iris reminisces about love, betrayal, and power, the narrative peels back the layers of her troubled past.
Elaine Risley, a controversial painter returning to Toronto, confronts powerful childhood memories of friendship and torment.
Atwood masterfully details how early, often cruel experiences shape both art and self-perception, capturing the vivid and sometimes brutal realities of growing up.
Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children in foster care, stumble upon a hidden portal leading to Misewa—a frozen world where animals talk and tradition endures.
Joined by Ochek, the community’s last hunter, they embark on a quest to save Misewa from an endless winter, blending adventure with Cree legends.
In Winnipeg’s North End, a violent assault witnessed by a young Métis mother sets off a ripple effect through her community. Multiple perspectives—from family to police—unfold a story of intergenerational trauma and the steadfast resilience of Indigenous women.
Naomi Nakane, a quiet middle-aged teacher, is drawn back to her childhood through fragmented memories and letters following her uncle’s death.
As she uncovers the painful history of Japanese-Canadian internment, the novel probes themes of silence, trauma, and the search for identity.
Jared Martin, a Haisla teenager in Kitimat, B.C., navigates high school, family struggles, and the odd presence of mythical forces. With humorous and gritty overtones, his journey hints at a deeper, trickster heritage woven into the fabric of his everyday chaos.
Morag Gunn reflects on her life from a difficult childhood in Manawaka to an evolving relationship with a Métis singer-songwriter. This novel explores independence, self-discovery, and the deep connections between personal history and the Canadian landscape.
At ninety years old, Hagar Shipley resists being placed in a nursing home while reflecting on a life marked by pride, hardship, and hard-won defiance. Her recollections trace a journey from privilege and turbulent relationships to the poignant struggles of aging.
This reimagining of Joey Smallwood’s life follows his evolution from an ambitious, impoverished youth to the pivotal first premier of Newfoundland, intertwined with his complex relationship with a sharp-witted newspaper columnist.
A remote Newfoundland outport becomes the stage for a tale of mystery and generational feud when a pale stranger is found alive inside a beached whale. Folklore, local dialect, and miracles intertwine to bring to life the harsh and beautiful coastal history.
Newspaperman Quoyle, down on his luck and reeling from family tragedy, relocates with his daughters to remote Newfoundland. As he writes the local shipping news, dark family secrets emerge amid a whimsical and unforgiving coastal community.
Set in Halifax during World War I, Neil Macrae, a ship designer wronged by fate, returns home to clear his name and reclaim lost love. His personal redemption unfolds alongside the historical devastation of the Halifax Explosion.
Alexander MacDonald reflects on his family’s storied past—from their 18th-century Scottish roots to the rugged life in Cape Breton. This beautifully written tale explores loyalty, memory, and the deep cultural bonds of kinship.
Beginning with slavery on a Barbados sugar plantation, young Wash’s life takes a dramatic turn when an eccentric abolitionist and inventor, Titch Wilde, introduces him to a world of scientific wonder, freedom, and danger across continents.
This beloved classic follows fiery orphan Anne Shirley as she arrives at Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. Her imaginative spirit and passionate nature transform the lives of those around her, forging a new sense of belonging.
An epic spanning over 300 years, this novel begins in the late 17th century with two French woodcutters and follows their descendants. It portrays the immense ambitions, greed, and environmental devastation tied to exploiting North America’s forests.
In the 1630s, Father Laforgue undertakes a treacherous journey into the Canadian wilderness to reach a remote Huron settlement. Alongside his Algonquian guides, he faces brutal conditions and cultural clashes in a stark exploration of faith and survival.
Part of a larger series on European–North American encounters, this dense novel focuses on 17th-century French Jesuit missionaries and Indigenous peoples, weaving together themes of faith, violence, sexuality, and the deep scars of colonization.
When photographer Will Sampson returns to Medicine River for his mother’s funeral, a well-meaning friend keeps him rooted to reconnect with a community steeped in warmth, humor, and modern Indigenous life.
This unique fictional biography chronicles the ordinary yet profound life of Daisy Goodwill Flett. Spanning almost the entire 20th century, the novel illuminates how everyday moments are shaped by history, memory, and personal identity.
In the remote northern settlement of Dove River circa 1867, the mysterious murder of a trapper and the disappearance of a young boy ignite a desperate search by his mother, uncovering dark secrets and hidden histories in an isolated community.
This graphic novel adapts the famous memoirs of Susanna Moodie, an Englishwoman who, expecting a genteel life in Upper Canada, instead confronts the harsh realities of pioneer existence, isolation, and resilience in the wilderness.
Set during World War II in Montreal, this groundbreaking novel follows Erica Drake and Marc Reiser—a forbidden romance that challenges societal prejudices and explores the personal cost of barriers in a time of global conflict.
In Montreal, twelve-year-old Baby navigates life with her heroin-addicted father and a string of hardships. O’Neill captures her voice—both heartbreaking and hopeful—as she confronts the perils of an adult world far too early.
Mary Rose MacKinnon, a successful author and stay-at-home mother in Toronto, is forced to confront her buried childhood traumas when everyday parenting triggers unsettling flashes from her past, leading to a journey of self-discovery and healing.
Dr. Jonathan Hullah, an unconventional physician near Toronto’s St. Aidan’s church, revisits a mysterious death from his past. Blending wit with introspection, he explores the hidden connections between the body, mind, and spirit.
Percival Leary, once a Canadian hockey legend, now lives in a retirement home. A brief return to the spotlight through a ginger ale commercial sparks memories of his early glory days, revealing a poignant and humorous reflection on aging and past triumphs.
Set at the fictional Salterton University, this novel begins with the death of eccentric collector Francis Cornish.
His puzzling will ignites ambitions and intrigue among professors and students alike, as they navigate intellectual sparring, romance, and deep questions about knowledge and faith.