Laura Secord: A Story of Courage

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is the
author of several books, including The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese
Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret Laurence: T

This inspiring tale of courage, determination, and self-sacrifice
dramatizes the terrifying journey made by a young housewife to warn a
Canadian general of an impending attack by American troops during the
War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States.

Laura and her husband lived in the Upper Canada village of Queenston on
the west bank of the Niagara River across from New York State. Her
husband had been severely wounded in the Battle of Queenston Heights and
the area was occupied by Americans. After some American officers stopped
at the Secords’ home and demanded a meal, Laura eavesdropped on their
talk and learned of their plans to defeat the Canadian troops at
Twelve-Mile Creek near the present St. Catharines. The Canadians would
be grossly outnumbered, and the Americans were confident that Upper
Canada would soon be part of their country. Laura decided she must warn
the Canadians. By getting through, she staved off a massacre.

Janet Lunn has received many awards for her historical fiction, and
this book is another fine piece of work. Her description of Laura’s
trek through rough and rocky terrain full of wild animals and
rattlesnakes is beautifully realized. Maxwell Newhouse uses bold colors
for his preferred technique of folk art to visualize this stirring tale.
Highly recommended.