Joan Skogan has scoured Canadian towns and tomes for Mary of Canada (Banff Centre $29.95), a non-religious celebration of the cult of Mary that is literally all over the map. "Mary lives in Canada. I know now," she says. From obscure Virgin Mary references in Lynn Coady's latest novel to Leonard Cohen's ribald re-creation of Blessed Kateri Takawitha, Lily of the Mohawk (1656-1680), in Beautiful Losers, to a Dashboard Mary on Canadian blues CD, Skogan shows hundreds of times how and where the appeal of the Virgin Mary in Can-ada is consistent with her followings in more Catholic countries such as Mexico and France. 1-894773-03-9

[BCBW Summer 2004]