The Best of Alberta

Carolyn M. Hackland was editor of the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association and lives in Ottawa.

The Best of Alberta, a collection of visual and literary material compiled by Tom Radford and Harry Savage, is a unique coffee-table book.

The short stories and excerpts come from such collections as All of Baba’s Children by Myrna Kostash and such acclaimed works as Obasan by Joy Kogawa. Contributions from W.O. Mitchell, Rudy Wiebe and others paint a vivid picture of memories and life in Alberta.

Interspersed with the stones are some wonderful photographs which tell Alberta stories all their own. The photographs are of the real people of Alberta — farmers, native peoples, cowboys, Ukrainian settlers — all those whose ancestors settled in a lonely and beautiful part of Canada. The scenery depicted in the photos is magnificent and the paintings reproduced in the book show a unique feeling for Alberta life and culture.

Combined, the photos and the excerpts from the best of Alberta’s writers, photographers, and artists create a powerful and pride-inspiring portrait of one of Canada’s western provinces. Even those of us who have never seen Alberta first-hand will be moved and made proud after a glimpse of the life, land, and people of this province.

A fine addition to any collection and an especially fine gift book.