Through a Windshield Darkly

Most Canadians will admit to considerable ambivalence in their feelings about America. As a former American (I became a Canadian citizen in 1976), I share that ambivalence. A complex nation, America is also a land riddled with contradiction. In Breakfast at the Exit Café, an engaging travelogue by two of Canada’s esteemed writers, we gain a front seat view, literally through the windshield, of those contradictions. Wayne Grady and Merilyn Simonds begin their journey in Vancouver, deciding to return to their home in eastern Ontario by driving their Toyota Echo through America in a 15,000-kilometre U, passing through 22 states, taking in much of the western and southern and some of the eastern United States.

Anglo-Canadians travelling in the U.S. gain a distinct advantage over other foreigners—they can remain completely invisible if they wish. They can travel in disguise by being careful not to say “eh,” “veranda” or “chesterfield.” They can...