Maud's Country: Landscapes That Inspired the Art of Maud Lewis

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

Maud Lewis is arguably Canada’s best-known folk artist. Both author
Lance Woolaver and photographer Bob Brooks knew and admired her work for
many years. Maud has been compared to Grandma Moses, but her vision was
her own, and it perfectly captured Digby County, the area of Nova Scotia
she knew and loved. Maud’s Country is a heartwarming celebration of
one woman’s love of life, color, and seasonal joys.

The book is divided into four seasonal groupings. Photos match or
complement each of Maud’s scenes. Photos of Digby County, set on
facing pages, have captions featuring quotations of friends, neighbors,
and Maud herself.

Woolaver has lived in Digby County, shares Maud’s feelings for it,
and knew her for many years. His brief introductions to the book and its
four parts describe her life and loves, which focused on flowers, oxen,
cats, and local life.

Brooks has followed Maud’s career since 1965, when he was asked to do
a photostory on a folk artist utterly unknown to Canadian art at the
time. His photos include shots of Maud painting in the tiny 10-
by–12-foot house where she lived with her husband.

The photography is excellent, the text simple and strong. Don’t miss
this delightful book.