Free Press
Book Club

Welcome to the Free Press Book Club!

This monthly book club runs completely online and is open to everyone.

Each month, we choose a novel and share it on this page, as well as in an email to those who have registered to participate. We send a couple of follow-up notes to check in on your progress and suggest a few discussion topics and questions to think about as you go.

At the end of the month, we gather to participate in a livestream book club meeting, hosted by our books editor, Ben Sigurdson, or one of our pals from McNally Robinson Booksellers, as well as the author of the book.

You can submit questions ahead of time, or drop them into one of the live chat boxes during the meeting. (And don’t worry, we provide an easy-to-access link to the stream, so all you have to do is click.)

Our focus is on local authors of varying genres and backgrounds, and we hope you’re excited to dive in.

The Book

Finding Flora
By: Elinor Florence

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Scottish newcomer Flora Craigie jumps from a moving train in 1905 to escape her abusive husband. Desperate to disappear, she claims a homestead on the beautiful but wild Alberta prairie, determined to create a new life for herself. She is astonished to find that her nearest neighbours are also female: a Welsh widow with three children; two American women raising chickens; and a Métis woman who supports herself by training wild horses.

While battling both the brutal environment and the local cynicism toward female farmers, the five women with their very different backgrounds struggle to find common ground. But when their homes are threatened with expropriation by a hostile government, they join forces to “fire the heather,” a Scottish term meaning to raise a ruckus. To complicate matters, there are signs that Flora’s violent husband is still hunting for her. And as the competition for free land along the new Canadian Pacific Railway line heats up, an unscrupulous land agent threatens not only Flora’s livelihood, but her very existence.

Schedule

Wed
Jan 28

February book club pick reminder

Finding Flora, by Elinor Florence

Mon
Feb 9

Check-in

Expect an email from us to check in on your progress. We offer up some discussion questions and other things to think about as you continue reading.

Mon
Feb 16

Livestream information email

This email provides all the information you need for our livestream book club event, including the access link, some information about your viewing options and how you can submit your questions for the author ahead of time.

Tue
Feb 24

Free Press Book Club meeting

Join our live chat starting at 7PM CT with special guest, author Elinor Florence.

If you have any questions, please email us at bookclub@winnipegfreepress.com