Synopsis: In this book Atwood adopts through poems the voice of Susanna Moodie, a noted early Canadian writer, and attempts to imagine and convey Moodie's feelings about life in the Canada of her era. The book is separated into three 'journals', which cover her arrival in 1832 to a post-death narration ending in 1969. Journal One is from 1832–1840, Journal Two encompasses 1841–1870, and Journal Three continues on until 1969, wherein a dead Susanna Moodie comments on twentieth century Canada.