Feasting on Misfortune: Journeys of the Human Spirit in Alberta's Past

by David Jones

The fledgling province of Alberta was neck-deep in trouble. The settlement of the Peace River country reached dangerously too far, the southeastern dry belt disintegrated in drought, colliers agonized over life and limb, and men of the cloth were stretched to the breaking point. The themes of adversity and victories of the spirit draw together the stories of ordinary people in early Alberta.

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 1994

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Reviews

[Phil Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, unique book. I was looking for history lessons on Alberta and found it, along with a lot of advice for the soul.

The author's writing style takes some getting used to, but I grew to really enjoy it. He doesn't mince words. The book is heartfelt and carefully written.

You will delve quite intimately into the lives of people in the province's past, and their individual trials, but also be given the historical context of the Alberta in which they lived.

The bug in my ear whilst reading was always "So, why is Elbert Hubbard featured in this so much? He wasn't from Alberta!" I had this question even though, funnily enough, the only reason I'd found this book was because I'd been searching for Hubbard's writings in Alberta's provincial library system. Taking in all the quotes from Hubbard eventually put this stipulation to rest, because they're so good. It's just part of what makes this book unique — well documented, meaningful examinations of the lives of people from Alberta's past combined with brilliant wisdom from Hubbard (and Jones) to help us reflect on and make sense of their excruciating challenges. It works.

This book has been an encouragement to self-reflect in new ways, and is inspiring me to learn more about it's subjects.