Characters Along the Road

Harry Bruce’s last book is a collection of stories from a career that spans nearly 70 years in journalism, interviewing some of the most interesting and influential figures from Canada’s recent history. He recounts his encounters with millionaires, prime ministers, movers and shakers.

Characters Along the Road finds its stories in the blustery halls of Parliament and on the windswept shores of Nova Scotia. Bruce follows the powerful players who’ve shaped his nation, alongside the introspective artists and explorers who search Canada’s shores for inspiration. What results is a slice of Canadian history from one of its most accomplished chroniclers. Bruce’s collection is replete with insight into the country’s political and publishing elite from John Diefenbaker to Joey Smallwood, but still finds time to reflect on family, friendship and the wisdom he’s found in stranger corners across the country.

Harry Bruce’s adventures are likely to induce nostalgia, pride and fury for Canadians old enough to remember the triumphs and injustices contained in Characters Along the Road and provide new insight for a generation of younger readers better trying to understand the Canada they’ve inherited. It’s hard to believe one life could touch so many important moments in history, yet Harry Bruce made it his business to find those characters he met along the road, and to tell their stories to anybody who would listen.