West to the Bay: The Canada West Historical Series, Book 1

West to the Bay is a historical fiction novel primarily following Thomas Gunn and his friends who join the Hudson’s Bay Company in Scotland and journey to York Factory. It also has chapters that follow Little Bird, a young Cree woman related to Thomas, to provide a different outlook on the storyline’s events. This work explores the harsh realities of early colonial life, including biases against Indigenous Peoples, violence, and impacts of the environment, such as frostbite. With its connection to historical events, educators could use this novel as a starting point for more advanced learners to explore archival material connected to the events of the time period and compare perspectives in the book. Earlier learners may also find the work engaging as a novel study, though educators may want to structure some additional materials to expand the Indigenous perspectives for the time period and allow for more constructive engagement with the historical terminology and biases in this story.