Description: This collection of nine short stories and a novella offers a fine introduction to the short fiction of Marie-Claire Blais. The stories range widely in setting and form, and take us from depictions of the dark period of the "Grande Noirceur" of pre-1960s QuZbec to civil rights activism, and on to an explosive love triangle in Paris. The first English translation of many of these stories, with an illuminating introduction by Ronald B. Hatch.
Brief description: Marie-Claire Blais is a defining figure in Canada's literary landscape, with over 30 books to her credit, including La Belle Bete (Mad Shadows), published when she was twenty, Une Saison dans la vie d'Emmanuel (A Season in the Life of Emmanuel), which is now taught regularly in university and college courses, and Soifs (These Festive Nights), which won the Governor General's Award in 1996.
Review Quotes: "Marie-Claire Blais must be one of the most profoundly intelligent and gifted novelists in North America."