Rosa's Very Own Personal Revolution

by Eric Dupont, Peter McCambridge (Translator)

Overview

Rosa Ost grows up in Notre-Dame-du-Cachalot, a tiny village at the end of the world, where two industries are king: paper and Boredom. The only daughter of Terese Ost (a fair-to-middling trade unionist and a first-rate Scrabble player), the fate that befalls Rosa is the focus of this tale of long journeys and longer lives, of impossible deaths, unwavering prophecies, and unsettling dreams as she leaves her village for Montreal on a quest to summon the westerly wind that has proved so vital to the local economy. From village gossips, tealeaf-reading exotic dancers, and Acadian red herrings to soothsaying winkles and centuries-old curses, Rosa's Very Own Personal Revolution is a delightful, boundary-pushing story about stories and the storytellers who make them—and a reminder that revolutions in Quebec aren't always quiet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771862899
Publisher:	QC Fiction
Publication date:	09/01/2022
Series:	Qc Fiction
Sold by:	INDEPENDENT PUB GROUP - EPUB - EBKS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	2 MB
Language:	French

About the Author

Eric Dupont was born in Amqui, Quebec, in 1970. He left his native Gaspé Peninsula at age 16 for Austria and other faraway locales, returning to Quebec in 2003 to accept a position as a lecturer in translation at the McGill University School of Continuing Studies. His fourth novel, La Fiancée américaine, released in 2012, won the Prix des libraires du Québec and the Prix littéraire des collégiens. Its English translation by Peter McCambridge, Songs for the Cold of Heart, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2018 and subsequently published by HarperVia, outside of Canada, under the title The American Fiancée. One of the hallmarks of Eric's writing is the juxtaposition of the supernatural and real worlds. The lighthearted tone of his work often belies undercurrents of deeper themes and meanings. Originally from Ireland, Peter McCambridge holds a BA in modern languages from Cambridge University, England, and has lived in Quebec City since 2003. He runs Québec Reads and now QC Fiction. Life in the Court of Matane was the first novel he chose for this collection and the book that made him want to become a literary translator in the first place. His translation of the first chapter won the 2012 John Dryden Translation Prize. His translations have been World Literature Today Notable Translations, longlisted for Canada Reads, and finalists for the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award for Translation.

Editorial Reviews

"I loved The American Fiancée for its heart and scope. Dupont leads us through the tale with grace, cunning, wit, and high intelligence. It’s a brilliant tribute not only to the unforgettable Lamontagne clan, but to the art of storytelling.” —Patrick deWitt, author of French Exit

“The American Fiancée is a wild, joyful cacophony of rumors, tragedies, and loose ends that come together in a gravity-defying feat. Like the best of family lore, it will remind you of the first tales you were ever told, and why you love stories in the first place.” —Thea Lim, author of An Ocean of Minutes

“The American Fiancée is a testament to the power of storytelling – and the Canadians who bring that tradition to life.” —Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“Both heartbreaking and hilarious.” —Publishers Weekly

“Dupont’s spellbinding tale spectacularly drives home the wonders of long-form storytelling.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Dupont's bruiser of a novel begins as a traditional family saga set in a small, early-20th-century Quebec village before swerving into new, less linear, and more psychologically demanding territory. Everyone's version of events differs here; there's no trusting who's hero, victim, or villain—or what's real; parallels accumulate; every casually mentioned detail becomes important as truths are revealed…. the sweet, sour, and salty world Dupont creates is thoroughly addictive.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“spectacular… original in every sense” —Literary Review of Canada

“highly recommended” —Library Journal

“fiercely readable” —Toronto Star

"Once again, Québec author Éric Dupont has crafted a delightful novel bringing together the rustic world of the Gaspé Peninsula with fast-paced life in big-city Montreal. Masterfully translated by Peter McCambridge, arguably the best contemporary translator in Canada, Rosa's Very Own Personal Revolution brings to English readers a view of Quebec society too long hidden from them."—Ottawa Review of Books

"An unforgettable tall tale ... consistently entertaining" —The Temz Review

"Playful and irreverent, this improbable farce is a fun read with a strangely satisfying, if bizarre, ending that ties up the loose ends in the wildest of knots."—Joseph Schreiber, Rough Ghosts

"whimsical and entertaining ... fun and unpredictable"—Consumed by Ink

"There’s a lot here to enjoy ... if you like a bit of fun with your fiction in translation, then spending a couple of nights in Rosa’s company is just the ticket." —Tony's Reading List

Award Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Translation. 

From the Publisher