"Magnificent analysis bristling with insight. The Quest of the Folk is among the best cultural history that has been produced in this country." Keith Walden, Trent University "Seldom do we see intellectual analyses engage as precisely and comprehensively with lived experience as does The Quest of the Folk." Dorothy Turner, HNet Reviews "The Quest of the Folk should appeal to anyone interested in the invention of tradition, and in what McKay calls cultural selection. It is beautifully written and, in terms of its content and interpretation, should serve as a model to cultural historians to set historical figures within the context of their times." Ann McMullen, The Public Historian "McKay's hard-nosed critical stance promises to make this one of the more controversial works in Canadian history, particularly as it relates to the careers of the demigods of Nova Scotia's 'folk essence,' Helen Creighton and Mary Black." Colin Howell, St Mary's University