Once again, what a joy to discover an author alongside Editions de l’Olivier who never cease to share with us their discoveries from diverse horizons. Here, they take us to Canada around Gabrielle Royan author born in Manitoba where she lived until 1937 before settling permanently in Quebec in the 1940s. Her work, which includes a dozen novels, essays and children’s stories, is recognized as the one of the most important in Canadian literature, multi-awarded and translated throughout the world.
Second-hand happinesspublished this month by l’Olivier, is a romantic fresco that tells the great affair of existence, the time that suddenly pulses when everything is going well, then the doubts, the dramas, the moments when the light comes rare. Bonheur d’occasion is a very beautiful book, finally available in France after an eclipse of a few decades.
In the Montreal district of Saint-Henri, a people of French-Canadian workers and small employees are desperately seeking happiness. Florentine believes she finds hers in love, Rose-Anna seeks it in the well-being of her family, Azarius flees in a dream, Emmanuel enlists, Jean begins his social climb. Everyone, in their own way, invents their own path to salvation and everyone, in their own way, fails. But their fate is at the same time that of millions of others, not only in Montreal but everywhere else, in a world in the grip of war.
You have understood, the novel takes place during the Second World War, in a disadvantaged neighborhood of Montreal which is described to us precisely. The author’s subtle writing allows the reader to immerse themselves in these places while understanding the issues of the poverty described. The characters are realistic, quite strikingly true. They are all described with accuracy and sensitivity which gives substance to the plot, which is very gripping in passing.
The book ultimately shows us how a superb story can be written around ordinary people, around poverty and its consequences. It shows us the talent of this Canadian author who deserves recognition commensurate with her writing talent.
