It is difficult to say whether Emily Murphy, née Ferguson, is best known as the first woman appointed police magistrate in the British Empire, the woman who instigated the lengthy struggle to have Canadian women declared "persons," the author of the first comprehensive book on drug addiction in North America, or as "Janey Canuck," a writer with a considerable literary reputation for her books of travel sketches. It is clear, though, that whether she was crusading for social reform, championing the rights of women, or documenting her observations, Murphy approached each task with unflagging energy and passionate dedication.

Murphy's distinguished family background undoubtedly contributed to her success as a leader. Her mother, Emily Jemima Ferguson, was the daughter of Ogle R. Gowan, founder of the Orange Order in Canada, and her father, Isaac Ferguson, a well-to-do landowner and businessman, was a cousin of one of the...