Georges and Pauline Vanier
Portrait of a Couple
Description
Georges and Pauline Vanier follows their lives and travels across the world - from Canadian military life to the League of Nations, from the inner circles of British government to their harrowing escape from Nazi-occupied France - detailing their disappointments and triumphs during social and political turbulence. With insight and sympathy, Mary Frances Coady tells their dramatic personal story. Revealing their remarkably vibrant personalities, she details the couple's support of the French resistance as well as Georges Vanier's pleas for the Canadian government to accept refugees fleeing Hitler's horrors and his effort to broaden immigration policy. She also recounts the importance of their religious convictions, their controversial standing among Quebecers, and their early advocacy of official bilingualism. An invigorating and well-told tale of their lasting legacies, Georges and Pauline Vanier is the definitive account of the enduring contributions the Vaniers made to the world and to their country.
Reviews
"The story of the Vanier's marriage, their spiritual quest and their devotion to Canada is deeply moving and revealing. Coady dissects two great souls with delicacy and perception to provide a rich and profoundly moving portrait of two extraordinary indiv
"This double biography is a careful, thorough work which fills a gap in Canadian history. Coady's insights into each partner are sympathetic and convincing, and her writing is accessible and thoughtful." Charlotte Gray, author of Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike