READING THE BESTSELLERS

Extraordinary Canadians: Stories From the Heart of Our Nation

By Peter Mansbridge, with Mark Bulgutch

Simon & Schuster, 2020. 304 pages. $26 (e-book $18)

WE CANADIANS ARE a modest lot. We generally avoid the limelight, preferring to just get on with the day’s business. But there are heroes among us, men and women whose achievements should be heralded, whose determination and resilience deserve recognition. And who better to share their stories than Peter Mansbridge, former host of CBC’s nightly newscast The National.

Over his long career Mansbridge conducted almost 20,000 interviews. In Extraordinary Canadians he and former CBC news producer Mark Bulgutch introduce us to 17 remarkable individuals. Most grew up here in Canada, but several hail from as far away as Iran and South Africa.

In this collection older Canadians reflect on the winding paths that facilitated their contributions, but also included are the accounts of younger people leaving their mark. One of them is Robb Nash, whose brush with death as a teenager set him on a mission. Today, in free high school concerts across the country, he shares a message of hope with students struggling with bullying, addiction and suicide.

In some profiles we witness perseverance in the face of daunting physical obstacles and societal biases. In others we see resourcefulness, sacrifice and fearless advocacy, all to improve the lives of others. And in the stories of a Vancouver emergency room nurse and of a special operations warrant officer, we marvel at their calm and courage, their unwavering sense of duty. These are qualities worth emulating.

Using notes from their extensive interviews, the authors have shaped each story into a first-person account. The result is honest and personal – readers are given a front-row seat to the unfolding narrative of these extraordinary Canadians’ struggles and successes.