Book description
Maria Chapdelaine, the quintessential novel of the rugged
life of early French-Canadian colonists, is based on the author's
experiences as a hired hand in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area. A
young woman living with her family on the Quebec frontier, Maria
endures the hardships of isolation and climate. Maria must eventually
choose between three suitors who represent very different ways of
life: a trapper, a farmer, and a Parisian immigrant.
Powerful in its simplicity, this novel captures the essence of faith
and tenacity, the key ingredients of survivance. Translated
into many languages, Maria Chapdelaine is enshrined as a
classic of Canadian letters. A new introduction by Michael Gnarowski
examines its relevance and provides insights into Louis Hemon's life.
Louis Hemon was born in 1880 and was raised in Paris, where he
qualified for the French Colonial Service. Unwilling to accept a
posting to Africa, Hemon embarked on a career as a sports writer and
moved to London. He was also developing talent as a fiction writer. He
sailed for Quebec in 1911 and died in 1913.
