Some women achieve extraordinary things during their lifetime. The incredible women in these stories - who lived from 350 years ago to the late twentieth century - contributed their courage, their vision, and their strength to their families and their communities.

"It wasn't until Mary was led to the scaffold and the rope was placed about her neck that she cried out, as though finally realizing that she was going to hang." Women in Canada frequently got away with murder and escaped the hangman's noose. A few were not so fortunate. The first woman hanged in Upper Canada was Mary Osborn, who was executed for murdering her husband. Her gruesome story and those of seven other deadly women are told in this collection of spine-chilling tales from Ontario.

One of Canada's best-loved and most respected dancers, Karen Kain's rise to ballet stardom is an inspirational story of dedication and passion. Now a national treasure, Karen Kain brought Canadian dance to the world's stage in the 1970s. This is a story of artistry and ambition - the joys and the sacrifices of a prima ballerina.

During the War of 1812, Canadian and British forces battled against the United States with great determination. Many of these soldiers displayed incredible bravery in the face of the enemy. The most legendary act, however, was performed by a civilian woman. This is the story of Laura Secord, a devoted wife and mother, who risked life and limb to warn the British military of an impending American attack.

From the age of eight, Roberta Bondar knew she wanted to be an astronaut. In January 1992 she made Canadian history when she became the first Canadian woman, and first neurologist, to go into space on board Discovery. The story of her journey to become a leading astronaut is a fascinating tale of dedication, commitment, and sheer guts.

The life of young Christiana Margaret Davis, a Loyalist born in upstate New York, was turned upside down by the American Revolution. During a time of Struggle and strife, she escaped with her family to Nova Scotia, finally landing on Brier Island in 1789. Her remarkable story sheds new light on the plight of the Loyalists.

Gwendoline Cramer was one of the 48,000 war brides transported to Canada by the Canadian government between 1942 and 1947. Many of them were escorted across the water and handed over to their husbands with nothing more than a handsake and a cookbook. Following her heart to rural Saskatchewan, Gwen felt like a fish out of water. She couldn't milk a cow or cook with a wood stove. And then she had the in-laws to contend with...

Marilyn Bell's 54-kilometre swim across Lake Ontario both stunned the world and riveted a nation. This account of her epic ordeal will have you on the edge of your seat as you accompany Marilyn and her coach, Gus Ryder, across the dark, frigid waters of Lake Ontario.

The Canadian Family in Crisis gives the reader an overview of the rapidly changing nature of family life in Canada. This fifth edition includes data from the most recent Canadian census.