Wild Bird

Sixteen-year-old Kate Harding is in her family's home in Victoria, a small settler town in the colony of 1861, struggling to help her mother through an early labour. The birth is harrowing for both of them. A local midwife arrives in time to help, but the newborn survives only a few hours. The grief is sharpened by irony: Kate's father is one of the few doctors in the colony, yet he was away seeing patients when his wife needed him most.

Although the novel is set more than 160 years ago, its concerns feel current. Kate longs for meaningful work in a society that sees women as ornaments and capable household managers, and little else. The book also shows how Indigenous people interact with newcomers who are quick to turn against them when it benefits the settlers. Along the way, it brings to life several historical figures who shaped the early history of Canada.