Following the American War for Independence, Betsy Green and her husband, Charles—who fought with the Loyalists—are relentlessly persecuted by their neighbours and fear they can no longer remain in New Jersey. Having traversed the land between his home and Upper Canada during his time with Butler’s Rangers, Charles plans to go to the Niagara Region, then return for his pregnant wife and five children. There, he hopes the British government will grant him land as a reward for his loyalty to the Crown. But Betsy alters their plans when she makes a decision—though virtuous and kind-hearted—that endangers her entire family. They must flee their home immediately.
Desperate to move quickly, Charles and Betsy leave their three eldest children in the care of Charles’s brother and set out with their two youngest, a few supplies, and their only horse. So begins their long and dangerous trek—full of twists and toils—to Upper Canada. They must travel under cover of darkness or risk being caught and arrested.
Blending true stories with fictional details, and told through the voices of Betsy and later her daughter Rebecca, Our Pursuit of Happiness is an extraordinary tale of a family whose love, strength, courage, and fortitude during perilous times paved the way for generations to come.
Reading Our Pursuit of Happiness in your book club?
Check out these discussion questions:
1. Did the title of the book or the book cover mean more to you after you had read it?
2. Families/communities with divided political interests is a very common occurrence in today’s world. What similarities and differences do you see in comparing the present to the past.
3. What do you think of Betsy and Charles’s decision to split up their family when they were forced to leave. Would you have done differently?
4. In Betsy and Charles’s journey to Upper Canada, Charles mostly took the lead. What decisions did Betsy make on the journey that changed their outcome?
5. Which part of the book resonated the most with you?
6. How did this historical fiction compare with your knowledge of the era?
7. What character did you relate to the most?
8. Which of Charles and Betsy’s children did you identify with most?
9. The author chose a mannered narrative style for Betsy. Did you find this added to the authenticity or a deterrent?
10. How did Rebecca’s character change over the course of the book?
11. The war of 1812 happened all around them and the Battle of Lundy’s lane truly was in Rebecca and Wills’s back yard. The closeness of these battles is something we have not experienced in North America for hundreds of years yet happens elsewhere in the world regularly. Do you feel this book has given you a better insight into the realities of war?
12. Do you think that Rebecca’s hope that we will remember the contributions and sacrifices of our ancestors has been fulfilled?
Download the Discussion Guide here:
T.R. Biggar
T.R. Biggar has published several short stories and plays. She grew up in Niagara Falls, and her ancestors were United Empire Loyalists. A lifelong lover of historical fiction, she spends her summers at her cottage on an island in Georgian Bay, where she enjoys time with her family, walking in the woods, kayaking, and writing. She lives in Kitchener, Ontario.
