This book started off somewhat odd but amply redeemed itself by the end. It chronicles the last months of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, as narrated by his personal secretary. We follow the 1891 election campaign, revelations about a scandal in Quebec, and Sir John's declining health, all with the immediacy afforded by present-tense narration. Normally this type of narration bothers me, but honestly I didn't notice until the end of the first chapter, and by the end of the second chapter I was pretty much reconciled with it. What I did have difficulty with was Chapter 2, which I didn't realize was being told from Sir John's perspective until several paragraphs in. That required a reread to help me get my bearings. But that confusion was likely my fault, because Sir John's occasional interludes *are* mentioned in the back cover blurb, which I read but apparently not attentively enough!

The story itself is packed with details to command the reader's attention, and the characters are vividly drawn, pulling you into their world. Toward the end of the book, it's very moving to see both sides of the House of Commons come together as they mark the end of an era. Laurier's eulogy (presumably taken from Hansard) nearly brought me to tears. It was wonderful to see that even though these two men disagreed so dramatically in their political views, they still respected and admired each other as opponents and people.

There are a few deviations from the historical record, and places where the author undoubtedly had to make up dialogue and draw his own conclusions based on his knowledge of the "characters", but unless you are a serious Macdonald scholar you probably won't notice, and even if you do, the book does not purport to be non-fiction, so it is nothing to worry about. Recommended for Canadian history buffs. ( )

This novel is based on the last few months of Sir John A. Macdonald's life. Narrated by his principal secretary, Joseph Pope, the book provides a glimpse into the heart and mind of Canada's first Prime Minister. A good story. ( )