Maria Chapdelaine: A Tale of the Lake St. John Country

Maria Chapdelaine is a romance novel that tells the story of Maria, a girl living in rural Quebec at the outset of the twentieth century. It is a wonderfully written book filled with complex yet amusing characters, from the parents of diverse backgrounds to various men Maria is struggling to decide between (even though only one truly has her heart). The tragedies that Maria faces in life, the crucial choices she's presented with, and an even more critical decision she has to make are the factors that contribute to her being a sympathetic and virtuous character. This work by Breton writer Louis Hémon is an accurate and captivating description of rural life in Quebec. It captures some of the intricacies of Quebec's situation with honesty and soon became a must for Canadian regionalist authors. The book is a display of people's struggle faced with the barren soil and climate of the Lake St. John area in Quebec. It addresses themes dominant in Canadian literature such as environment, seclusion, and challenges in overcoming both.