Susanna Strickland Moodie Paintings

Susanna Strickland Moodie was a British-born Canadian author best known for her literary work 'Roughing It in the Bush,' which is an autobiographical account of her life as a settler in Canada. Born on December 6, 1803, in Bungay, Suffolk, England, she was part of a family of writers and intellectuals. Her siblings included writers Catharine Parr Traill, Samuel Strickland, and Agnes Strickland, a noted historian.

Before emigrating to Canada, Susanna Strickland worked as a writer in England, publishing children's books and contributing to periodicals. In 1831, she married John Moodie, a former soldier turned farmer, and in 1832, the couple emigrated to Upper Canada, which is now Ontario, seeking to improve their financial situation. The family settled in the backwoods, where they struggled to adapt to the harsh and unfamiliar conditions of pioneer life.

Moodie's experiences in Canada deeply influenced her writing. 'Roughing It in the Bush,' published in 1852, is a richly detailed narrative of her first seven years in Canada. It describes the challenges and ordeals that she and her family faced, including the isolation, the rough environment, and the encounters with the wilderness and the indigenous peoples. Her honest and often critical perspective on the struggles of settlers provided a counter-narrative to the overly optimistic accounts that were commonly used to encourage immigration to the colonies.

Aside from 'Roughing It in the Bush,' Moodie also published a sequel, 'Life in the Clearings versus the Bush' in 1853, which depicted her life after moving to a more developed community. Her other works include 'Flora Lyndsay' and 'Geoffrey Moncton,' which were also based on her experiences in Canada.

Moodie's literary work is significant as it provides a valuable first-person perspective of early Canadian settler life and the cultural and social landscape of the time. Her writing is notable for its vivid descriptions, emotional depth, and its reflective approach, which has earned her a place in Canadian literary history.

Susanna Moodie died on April 8, 1885, in Toronto, Ontario. Her legacy endures through her writing, which continues to be of interest not only as literature but also as a historical record of a pivotal period in Canadian history.