The War at Home: An Intimate Portrait of Canada's Poor

by Pat Capponi

Outspoken social activist pat Capponi travels from coast to coast to investigate the lives and communities of this country's poor and examine the changes that have beset the disadvantaged in this new era of reduced social programs and "pull up your bootstraps" legislation.
From St. John's to Vancouver, Pat examines the unique communities the poor create, how poverty differs from city to city, and the inventive ways some groups have found to improve their conditions and lives. In stark yet moving prose, Pat illuminates how specific government policies, such as the reduction of welfare payments, workfare and government-sponsored casinos are changing the very nature of poverty in this country.
Hard-hitting, gritty, but also hopeful, The War At Home examines the neglected margins of society and the human face of a changing Canada.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Pat Capponi (born 1949) is a Canadian author and an advocate for mental health issues and poverty issues in Canada. She lives in Toronto. Her works include several nonfiction titles and a mystery novel series.

She has also served as a board member at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto and as a member of the Advocacy Commission in Ontario.

Reviews

[D.J. Sylvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeply touching, important book about homelessness and poverty in Canada, from someone who knows everything she's talking about.