Recent Class Notes

Books and Beyond

  • Cover of Becoming Green Gables, The Diary of Myrtle Webb and her famous farmhouse. Alan Maceachern

    Anne of Green Gables series. Becoming Green Gables

    Alan MacEachern, MA鈥91, PhD鈥97

    Imagine living in the home that was the inspired setting for Lucy M. Montgomery鈥檚 famous Green Gables in her novels about Anne. This was the reality for Myrtle Webb, Montgomery鈥檚 cousin, who lived in the Cavendish, P.E.I., farmhouse featured in the Anne of Green Gables series. Becoming Green Gables by biographer Alan MacEachern, MA鈥91, PhD鈥97, provides a glimpse of what it was like to live in such a literary-famous place. The diary also tells how fame eventually upends the Webb family when they are faced with expropriation and forced to move. A contains digital scans, photos, and more. is available from McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press.

  • After the Wallpaper Music. Jean Mills

    After the Wallpaper Music

    Jean Mills, Artsci鈥78, MA鈥80

    We鈥檝e all experienced what it鈥檚 like to be pulled in different directions. For a child, that experience can seem irreversibly consequential. In After the Wallpaper Music, Flora, a 12-year-old violinist, has to choose between friends competing in a battle of the bands. Author Jean Mills, Artsci鈥78, MA鈥80, explores empathy for outsiders, friendship, and being true to oneself in this novel for ages eight to 12. The author is an accomplished musician, and it鈥檚 no surprise that her book includes the score for her original song, Time is a Fickle Friend. Publishers Weekly says that 鈥減oignant life lessons and a focus on the emotions evoked by music permeate this soulful novel.鈥 is available from Pajama Press.

  • The Adaptable Country: How Canada Can Survive the Twenty-First Century. Alasdair S. Roberts

    The Adaptable Country: How Canada Can Survive the Twenty-First Century

    Alasdair S. Roberts, Artsci鈥87

    In the 21st century, Canada鈥檚 democracy is unprepared to meet shocks resulting from regional conflicts, climate change, and technology. In The Adaptable Country: How Canada Can Survive the Twenty-First Century, Alasdair S. Roberts, Artsci鈥87, examines how Canada鈥檚 politicians and leaders, as well as technological changes affecting journalism and a lack of agility within the public service, have made the country less adaptable. The author reminds readers that a country that respects diversity and human rights can also respond well to existential threats.  is available from McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press.

  • Enduring Work: Experiences with Canada鈥檚 Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Catherine Connelly

    Enduring Work: Experiences with Canada鈥檚 Temporary Foreign Worker Program

    Catherine Connelly, MSc鈥00, PhD鈥04

    Canada relies on thousands of temporary workers 鈥 workers who are vulnerable to abuse. Catherine Connelly, MSc鈥00, PhD鈥04, looks at their experiences in Enduring Work: Experiences with Canada鈥檚 Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Her book includes various forms of mistreatment, from the perspective of organizational behaviour and human resources management, and she also includes employers鈥 perspectives, distinguishing between those who follow the rules and those who don鈥檛. is available from McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press.

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