Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town

by Stephen Leacock

"Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town" by Stephen Leacock is a sequence of stories published in 1912. Set in the fictional town of Mariposa on Lake Wissanotti, this Canadian humorous classic portrays small-town life through affectionate satire. The sketches follow colorful local characters—hotel proprietors, barbers, undertakers, and lovelorn bank tellers—whose ordinary dramas are elevated to comic grandeur by an unreliable narrator. From a steamboat sinking in six feet of water to country-wide elections, Leacock captures the charm and foibles of countless small towns across Canada.