Second Chance

Nellie L. McClung (1873-1951) is a Canadian icon - a feminist, social activist, author, and political leader. When she was a child, she moved to Manitoba with her pioneer family. As a teacher in rural Manitoba, she was a keen observer of village life at the turn of the century. As a suffragette, she led the campaign for women's enfranchisement, which saw Manitoba become the first province in Canada to grant the vote to women in 1916, a right granted at the national level in 1918, before either the US (1920) or UK (1928). Elected to the Alberta legislature in 1921, she championed children’s health care and women’s rights. As a member of the "famous five", whose statues now graces the grounds of the Manitoba legislature, her 1929 court challenge led to the recognition of women as “persons”, eligible to sit as federal senators. When published in 1908, Sowing Seeds in Danny was a national bestseller, selling more than 100,000 copies and introducing the young Pearl Watson, the Watson clan, and the villagers of Millford, Manitoba. The Second Chance is the second volume in the Pearl Watson trilogy, which recounts Pearl's teen years, as she must choose between pursuing an education and supporting the family farm. As with Sowing Seeds, it is a poignant introduction to the hardscrabble struggles of turn-of-the-century prairie life. (Summary by ASharma)