Abstract

This novel is set in a traditionally agricultural town in Francophone Northern Ontario. The death of a local woman sets in motion a series of incidents that affect the lives of other villagers, particularly the two female protagonists. As the two women make parallel movements to more independent lives, they discover a series of documents pertaining to the past of some of the town's residents. Their understanding of the town's history and of their place within its social order are brought into question. This story explores issues of shifting roles and notions of belonging in a town whose culture is in flux from the older, traditional French-Canadian culture to a contemporary one, influenced by English Canada and American-style media.