An examination of Upper Canadian life at the dawn of a modern nation.

Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst explores the web of human relationships that developed in Upper Canada following the American Revolution, in the years leading up to the War of 1812, and during the conflict that raged for two years between the young United States and Britain, its former master. The book focuses on the families, homes, gardens, farms, roads, villages, towns, shops, and fabric of everyday life in this frontier society.

Upper Canada was a land in transition as First Nations, fur traders, Loyalists, entrepreneurs, merchants, farmers, and newcomers from every walk of life formed alliances and partnerships based on friendship, marriage, respect, religion, proximity, and the desire to survive and prosper. With the declaration of war in June 1812, Upper Canadians realized that not only their lives but their future peace and prosperity were threatened. They responded with perseverance, loyalty, and unexpected acts of bravery.

Dorothy Duncan began her career as an elementary school teacher, and it was as a teacher-guide and curator at Black Creek Pioneer Village that her love of history and her passion for food led her into the world of culinary history. As a Museums Advisor for the Province of Ontario and Executive Director of the Ontario Historical Society, she worked with organizations across Canada and around the world to ensure that Canada's culinary history was recognized, researched, and recorded. Dorothy has lectured internationally on Canada's heritage foods and customs, including at the Culinary Institute of America and at the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery in England. She was the Toronto Women's Culinary Network's Woman of the Year, and in 2006 she was chosen by the Ontario Hostelry Institute to receive the Gold Award for Media and Publishing. Nothing More Comforting: Canada's Heritage Food, Dorothy's first book for Dundurn, was published in 2003 to wide acclaim.

Dorothy Duncan's profile page

Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst is an excellent introduction for 'first timers' ... It is worth reading.