Behind Brocade Curtains

In an age when politicians make such concerted efforts to project an image of bland conformity, it is refreshing to be reminded of a time when political achievement and public eccentricity could comfortably coexist. Perhaps no politician in Canadian history had eccentricities that were as publicly acknowledged and celebrated by his contemporaries as did John A. Macdonald. In Private Demons: The Tragic Personal Life of John A. Macdonald, Patricia Phenix sheds light on the more private aspects of these foibles and their effect on those closest to the man.

As Phenix makes clear, one important influence on John A.’s character was having been singled out so early by his family for political greatness. His father’s lacklustre business acumen meant that the Macdonalds had little choice but to hope for the best from their obviously talented son. Phenix also presumes another important influence during John A.’s early years: unspoken guilt over the accidental death...