Following the reissue in 2005 of Nellie McClung's classic autobiography, "Clearing in the West," comes the highly anticipated second volume, "The Stream Runs Fast." Covering McClung's later life from 1896 to 1945, "The Stream Runs Fast" chronicles her life during some of the most important events in Canadian history, including the First and Second World Wars and The Great Depression. It also contains her personal account of the Famous Five case in 1927, in which she sought, along with four other female activists, the right for women to be recognized as "person" under the law. This law, which allowed women to be elected to the Senate, was a major step toward the entrance of women into Canadian politics. As one of Canada's first female political and social activists, this account of the second half of McClung's life also documents her thoughts, feelings and contributions on behalf of women, immigrants, children and the poor. In addition "The Stream Runs Fas"t is a record of McClung's personal life throughout these years, providing a vivid and intimate portrait of life in early twentieth-century Canada.
Author
Nellie McClung, born Nellie Letitia Mooney (20 October 1873 – 1 September 1951), was a Canadian feminist, politician, and social activist. She was a part of the social and moral reform movements prevalent in Western Canada in the early 1900s. In 1927, McClung and four other women: Henrietta Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby, who together came to be known as "The Famous Five" (also called "The Valiant Five")[citation needed], launched the "Persons Case," contending that women could be "qualified persons" eligible to sit in the Senate. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that current law did not recognize them as such. However, the case was won upon appeal to the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council—the court of last resort for Canada at that time. She published her first novel Sowing Seeds in Danny in 1908. A national bestseller, it was succeeded by short stories and articles in several Canadian and American magazines.
