I Came as a Stranger celebrates Ontario’s role in the Underground Railroad. Writer Bryan Prince, winner of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for contributions to black history, tells what happened to escaping slaves who came to Ontario, and how they were aided or resisted by Canadians and Americans alike. The volume is extensively researched, and incorporates a range of archival material, including legal documents, newspaper advertisements, personal letters, and anecdotes. Most pages feature at least one historical photograph, drawing, or map, all well annotated and adding visual interest as well as supplementary information. A thorough index, timeline, source notes, and suggested reading list make the book a useful research resource.

Prince, a sixth-generation descendant of slaves who came to Canada before the Civil War, begins with a brief history of slavery and its origins before turning to Canada’s part in this sad history. His account acknowledges the complex, even contradictory, attitudes toward slavery held officially and popularly in Ontario, where escaping slaves may have found sanctuary but were not always welcomed. The book introduces such important historical figures as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass as well as celebrating those whose stories have not been told and whose names have not been remembered. Prince’s attention to these otherwise silenced subjects makes this text an engaging and important history that fills in many blanks.

However, he may have overestimated his audience. The text is marketed to ages 10 and up, but the longer chapters may not hold younger readers’ interest. Sub-headings would have helped to break up the text and focus the narrative, which often moves abruptly from topic to topic.Older readers, though, will find it a rewarding read.