In 1872, the author's great-grandfather George Monro Grant set out with Sandford Fleming to map out the railway line that would link Canada ocean to ocean. Michael Ignatieff recreates his journey, seeing the country through his ancestor's optimistic vision and tracing how that vision filtered through his illustrious family tree. The Grants' engagement with the idea of Canada's place in the world includes his uncle George Grant's classic, Lament for a Nation, and his own more confident view of Canada's potential. Recalling the novelistic flair of The Russian Album, Ignatieff blends history and love of country and tradition into an unforgettable family memoir.

Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian writer and historian. His books include Scar Tissue (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize), The Russian Album, Blood And Belonging, The Warrior's Honour, The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror, and The Rights Revolution. His work has been translated into many languages and awarded numerous prizes and awards. Before being elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament in 2006, he was Professor of Human Rights and Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. Until May 2011 Ignatieff was leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He lives in Toronto, where he teaches at the University of Toronto.

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