An enthralling exploration of the lifestyles, ideas, habits, organizations, customs, fears, and aspirations of Canadians in the age of Confederation.

Too often we think of Victorian Canada as dull. We imagine our ancestors as sepia-tinged, dour, excruciatingly respectable figures sitting stiffly in over-decorated parlours. In How Different It Was, Michael J. Goodspeed changes all that, bringing to life the tumult and enthusiasm of ordinary and unconventional Canadians — from across the country and every walk of life — in an extraordinary time.

The political manoeuvring and power struggles of the decades when Canada was emerging as a nation are well known, but we are less familiar with the lives and circumstances of everyday Canadians in the Confederation era. How Different It Was vividly brings to life the lifestyles, attitudes, habits, and mindset of a colourful generation of Canadians who were, in so many ways, so different from our own.