Best known as the author of the satiric utopian novel A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, James De Mille (1833-80) wrote many other works of fiction and poetry. Patricia Monk's biographical-critical study investigates De Mille’s personal, educational, religious, social, and professional background in meticulous detail. She provides a comprehensive review of De Mille’s developing career. The Gilded Beaver throws new light on the literary world of nineteenth-century Canada, and is a valuable contribution to the growing list of biographies of Canadian writers.