by Marie-Claire Blais (Author), Mary Meigs (Illustrator), Derek Coltman (Translator)
Following the life of newborn infant, Emmanuel, this great contemporary novel of Quebec exposes a painful history central to the new consciousness that emerged in the 1960s known as "the quiet revolution." The story of Emmanuel and his 15 brothers and sisters spotlights the grinding poverty under the mental regime of the Catholic Church at its least enlightened and most inescapable. This insightful narrative documents the hardships and cruelties of their social condition with dark humor and passionate imagination as they endeavor to survive harsh schools, dreary convents, and hunger.
Front Jacket
In her third and most powerful novel, Marie-Claire Blais explores, with sober compassion and realistic detail, a season in the life of Emmanuel, the sixteenth child of a poverty-stricken farmer's family in rural Quebec.
First published in 1965, "A Season in the Life of Emmanuel established Blais's international reputation when it won the Prix France-Quebec and the Prix Medicis of France. The novel has been translated into 13 languages.
Author Biography
Marie-Claire Blais is the author of more than 20 novels, 5 plays, and collections of poetry and short stories. She is the recipient of the Prix France-Canada and the prestigious Prix Médicis and was the first North American writer invited to join Belgium's prestigious Academy of French Language and Literature. She lives in Key West, Florida. Mary Meigs is an American painter who emigrated to Canada and is best known for her literary contributions. Derek Coltman has worked as a translator for more than five decades and has translated many of the most recognized contemporary French authors. Priscila Uppal is a poet, a fiction writer, and a professor of humanities and English at York University. Her work has been translated into Croatian, Dutch, Greek, Italian, Korean, and Latvian. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.