The Oatmeal Ark: Across Canada by Water

Marcia Sweet, formerly head of the Douglas Library’s
Information/Reference Unit at Queen’s University and editor of the
Queen’s Quarterly, is currently an information consultant and
freelance editor.

The Oatmeal Ark is a well-written first-person account of a trip across
Canada by water. It deals with the personal search of a rather angry
young man for his Scots roots. Assisted by the ghosts of his male
forebears, he traces the history of several generations of his family,
from their brutal uprooting in Scotland, to their landing on Cape Breton
Island, to their financial achievements in the great city of Toronto. As
the author involves himself in his own history, he reflects on the
growth and maturing of Canada over the past century.

The movement in the narrative between several generations of speakers
is sometimes confusing, but the characters for the most part express
themselves in strong, distinctive voices (save for some unlikely
interactions between the author and his ghostly ancestors). Particularly
compelling is the depiction of the Scots as part of a diaspora.

Boasting a rich vocabulary and a clear passion for Canada’s history,
this travel account entertains as much as it informs. An annotated map
showing the route the author traveled would have been useful.