Inspiring true stories of Canadians who have bravely faced danger, adversity and injustice

When we think about courage, certain images come to mind: troops charging into battle; law enforcement facing down armed assailants; firefighters racing into a burning building. We think about those men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line for their country or for others, those remarkable people who run toward danger instead of away from it. But you don’t have to wear a uniform to be courageous.

On any given day, ordinary Canadians exhibit courage in myriad ways. Some do so in the face of danger—like six-year-old Sophia LeBlanc, who, in the aftermath of a crash, escaped an upside-down and partially submerged minivan to get help for her family. Some do so by choosing to fight injustice instead of turning a blind eye—like McGill University student Tomas Jirousek, who supported other Indigenous students to push the school to change the troublesome name of its athletic teams. And some demonstrate courage when they overcome adversity—like Timea Nagy, whose experience as a survivor of human trafficking compelled her to become an advocate for others and a voice for change.

In Canadian Courage: True Stories of Canada’s Everyday Heroes, you’ll meet thirty-five remarkable people—men, women, children and even an animal or two—who have shown remarkable courage in the face of danger, injustice and adversity. Their stories are moving, thrilling and, most of all, inspiring. They’ll leave you wondering whether you too have the ability to be courageous when it counts.

LINDA PRUESSEN is an editor and a writer with twenty years of experience in the publishing industry. The former editor-in-chief of Key Porter Books, she has been a freelancer for the past ten years, contributing to bestselling works in a number of genres, both fiction and non-fiction and for readers of all ages. She works regularly with Canada’s top publishers and agents, as well as authors who self-publish. Linda Pruessen lives with her husband and two children in the Greater Toronto Area.

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