Extraordinary Canadians: Maurice Richard - Hardcover

Foran, Charles

4.02

47 ratings by Goodreads

9780670064120: Extraordinary Canadians: Maurice Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670064122 ISBN 13: 9780670064120

Publisher: Viking, 2011

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Born in 1921 into a working-class family, Maurice Richard came of age as a French Canadian and athlete during an era when the majority population of Quebec slumbered. A proud, reticent man, Richard aspired only to score goals and win championships for the Montreal Canadiens. But he represented far more than a high-scoring forward who filled seats in NHL arenas. Beginning with his 50-goal, 50-game season in 1944-45 and through his battles with the league over bigotry toward French-Canadian players, Richard's on-ice ferocity and off-ice dignity echoed the change in Quebec. The March 1955 “Richard Riot,” in which fans went on a rampage to protest his suspension, contained the seeds of transformation. By the time Richard retired in 1960, Quebec had begun to reinvent itself as a modern, secular society. Author Charles Foran argues that the province's passionate identification with Richard's success and struggles emboldened its people and changed Canada irrevocably.

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About the Author:

Charles Foran is a writer of novels, non-fiction, and journalism. He has published eight books, including the multi-award-winning The Last House of Ulster. Though raised in Toronto, he was reared, thanks to a French-Canadian mother, on the Montreal Canadiens. Maurice Richard, who retired from hockey the same year Foran was born, was mistaken by the boy for a local saint, so reverential were the evocations of his name among extended family members. Foran lives with his family in Peterborough, Ontario.

Review:

These books are...opportunities to deepen the relationship between Canadians of the past and Canadians of the present. May this dialogue continue, so that today’s biographers themselves will be the subject of the next wave of writers.” - The Globe and Mail

“The books would be a lovely addition to any library...they’re accessible and ready to be read by all.” - The Nova Scotian (Sunday Herald)

“[the series is] entertaining, literary and informative." - The National Post

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