Book Review: Finding Flora by Elinor Florence

Finding Flora by Elinor Florence gripped me from the first page, when a young Scottish woman jumps off a moving train to escape her abusive husband.  As the story unfolds, we discover what led Flora to take this action, and her fighting spirit won me over right away.  

The story begins in the early days of Canada, when Alberta was still a part of the Northwest Territories and on the cusp of becoming an official province.  While single women weren’t allowed to claim free homestead land in Western Canada at this time, there were certain legal loopholes which enabled some pioneering women to acquire land.  

When Flora has the opportunity to start over in Canada, she finds herself with other women as neighbours. I loved the sense of community as the women in ‘Ladyville’ formed a sort of family.  While these characters are fictional, there are some appearances by real historical figures in the story.  I recommend reading author’s note, as it adds even more depth. 

The adventurous, pioneering aspect of the story reminded me of Little House on the Prairie, as Flora literally had to start her new home from the ground up. There were many things to overcome, like the fact that some saw the women as ‘stealing’ the land from male farmers, as well as the unforgiving harshness of the climate. Flora was also haunted by the threat of her abusive husband tracking her down.

Flora’s growth was quite evident as she realized her own strength and what she was capable of accomplishing.  I loved the author’s descriptions and characterizations, which gave me a real sense of time and place and painted a realistic picture of what life might have been like in the early 1900s.  

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This book releases April 1st, 2025, and I highly recommend checking it out!