Moodie, Susanna (1803-1885), was a Canadian author. Her best-known book is her autobiography, Roughing It in the Bush (1852). The book gives an accurate account of the hardships of pioneer life in Canada in the 1830’s. But it also includes humorous stories and lively sketches of people living on the Canadian frontier. Moodie based the book on her experiences as a pioneer farmer in what is now Ontario.
Moodie was born on Dec. 6, 1803, into a wealthy family in Bungay, England, near Norwich. Her maiden name was Susanna Strickland. In 1832, she married Lieutenant J. W. D. Moodie, an officer in the British army. In that year, Moodie immigrated with her husband to the area north of Lake Ontario in what was then called Upper Canada. From 1839 to 1851, Moodie wrote fiction and poetry for the Literary Garland, a Canadian magazine. She died on April 8, 1885.
