True North
- Author
- Paul Theroux
- Narrator
- Charlie Anson, Paul Theroux
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 29 October 2026
- Run Time
- 17 hours 20 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
Canada – ‘The true north strong and free’ in the words of its national anthem – is the subject of this exhilarating new travel book from Paul Theroux: both a journey into the past and a cross-country road trip in the present, at a pivotal point in Canada's history.
A vastly diverse and geographically scattered nation of forty million people, Canada is now threatened with annexation as the 51st state by the US President, beyond the longest undefended border in the world. This threat has had the effect of unifying the nation, inspiring patriotism, and encouraging the normally laconic Canadians to be forthcoming, ideal for a traveller with a gift for listening.
For Theroux, this journey is also personal: his ancestor Antoine Theroux left Gascony in 1693 to become a pioneer in Nouvelle France and to settle in the small village of Yamaska, where many Therouxs still live and thrive. He recounts the riveting story of Antoine, illuminating the deeper, and often darker, history of Canada, before hitting the road from Yamaska, to explore the length and breadth of the country.
From the farthest east in Newfoundland to the west in Vancouver, Theroux travels the highways linking Quebec, Montreal, Toronto and the huge cities of the prairies – an archipelago of urban islands, surrounded by vast, often pristine landscapes. Along the way he meets farmers and fishermen, writers and activists, new immigrants and old timers – each a vital part of this True North, each hoping for it to remain strong and free.
With his remarkable gift for description and narrative, and his zest for the open road, Paul Theroux remains the most compelling, searching and evocative of travel writers.
© Paul Theroux 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
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Like me, Paul Theroux is a fellow New Englander who has traveled - we’ve both lived a lot of our eighty four years outside our birth country. We both know that before you can be a good writer, you have to be a keen observer
John Irving
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True North made me, in my depths, long to be back in Canada
Hugh Brody
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One of our greatest travel writers
New York Times
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The most gifted, most prodigal writer of his generation
Jonathan Raban
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One of the best-known travel writers of our times
The Herald
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Paul Theroux
- Narrator
- Charlie Anson, Paul Theroux
- Duration
- 17 hours 20 minutes
- Release Date
- 29 October 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405972741
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Travel writing, History of the Americas, Political science and theory, Narrative theme: journeys and voyages
Synopsis
<p><b>Canada – ‘The true north strong and free’ in the words of its national anthem – is the subject of this exhilarating new travel book from Paul Theroux: both a journey into the past and a cross-country road trip in the present, at a pivotal point in Canada's history.</b></p><p>A vastly diverse and geographically scattered nation of forty million people, Canada is now threatened with annexation as the 51st state by the US President, beyond the longest undefended border in the world. This threat has had the effect of unifying the nation, inspiring patriotism, and encouraging the normally laconic Canadians to be forthcoming, ideal for a traveller with a gift for listening.</p><p>For Theroux, this journey is also personal: his ancestor Antoine Theroux left Gascony in 1693 to become a pioneer in Nouvelle France and to settle in the small village of Yamaska, where many Therouxs still live and thrive. He recounts the riveting story of Antoine, illuminating the deeper, and often darker, history of Canada, before hitting the road from Yamaska, to explore the length and breadth of the country.</p><p>From the farthest east in Newfoundland to the west in Vancouver, Theroux travels the highways linking Quebec, Montreal, Toronto and the huge cities of the prairies – an archipelago of urban islands, surrounded by vast, often pristine landscapes. Along the way he meets farmers and fishermen, writers and activists, new immigrants and old timers – each a vital part of this True North, each hoping for it to remain strong and free.</p><p>With his remarkable gift for description and narrative, and his zest for the open road, Paul Theroux remains the most compelling, searching and evocative of travel writers.</p><p>© Paul Theroux 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026</p>
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