Building Sanctuary
Last month I was asked by the journal BC Studies to review a new book called Building Sanctuary by historian Jessica Squires. It tells the story of the people who mobilized to help Vietnam war resisters (also known as draft dodgers or deserters) settle and stay in Canada. Tens of thousands of them arrived here in the mid- to late 1960s, and many of them stayed; but this is one of the first books to look critically at their reception and all the work that was done on their behalf.
I think the story of Vietnam-era war resistance is fascinating in its own right. It’s also very relevant today, as dozens of former American soldiers who refused to fight in Iraq struggle to avoid deportation from Canada. You can read my review here, and when it arrives in print in an upcoming issue.
Daniel Ross 