Overview

"This compelling work of historical fiction focuses on two generations of a ""railway family."" The experiences of the Baldwin and Smith clans tie in with the early rivalry between the Grand Trunk and Canadian Pacific railways, and also with technological and operational changes in the whole railroad industry during and immediately after World War I.Railway Ties conveys a clear sense of a future-defining period in Canada. The years that saw the growth of rail travel in this country were marked by possibility, adventure, and individual sacrifice.Carefully researched from railway and family archives, Railway Ties is enhanced with more than 200 original images. Elizabeth Waterston, a celebrated academic and creative writer, blends historical accuracy with lively style to make this new book a page-turner."

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9781772441949

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Reviews

In her intriguing new novel, Railway Ties 1888-1920, London writer Elizabeth Waterston revisits the life and times of railway pioneer Arthur Lloyd Smith, a longtime rail employee dedicated to the advancement of rail as a vital Canadian enterprise. The book, based on archival material and described as historical fiction, is a family story as well and affords the reader fascinating glimpses into domestic disruption in an era of constant change. At the centre of Waterston's richly textured narrative is a young telegrapher intent on carving out a career in Canada's burgeoning rail industry rather than in pursuing the military role expected of a son of Major Lloyd Smith, whose British regiment worked with Canadian militia during the Riel Rebellion. Major Smith, a hero in the defeat of the rebels, set aside misgivings he had about his son's rejection of a military career as he had three other sons to carry on family traditions. Arthur Smith's unusual career choice and its wider consequences help propel Waterston's absorbing look back at an important time in transportation history. Waterston's book, with its interesting array of period detail, is well researched as well as engaging. Its 'rail talk' includes brief glances into locomotive advancements, timetable adjustments, depot upgrades, train wrecks and strikes, with Smith's role as problem solver and management expert at the crux of the narrative. Although aligned with management, Smith's long-held sympathy toward union grievances influenced his stances on railway politics. Railway Ties, based on journals, family scrapbooks, letters and official documents and supplemented with a treasure trove of photographs, is wonderfully readable. Its look at both actual rail ties and at the ties that bind is entertaining and informative: good storytelling in a book to peruse and to savour. --Nancy Schiefer, The London Free Press

Author Information

Elizabeth Hillman Waterston was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2019. She is also a Member of the Order of Ontario and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She received these honors for her pioneering work in the fields of Canadian, children's, women's, and historical Canadian travel literature. These awards also recognized her far-reaching mentorship of fellow writers. She taught at the universities of Concordia and Western before moving to the University of Guelph where she is now Professor Emerita.

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