Description

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.

“Peter McCambridge’s translation of Rosa’s Very Own Personal Revolution brilliantly renders Eric Dupont’s vibrant literary universe and rollicking story of an innocent young woman from the Gaspé Peninsula catapulted into turn-of-the-millenium Montréal. This rare feat of literary translation is a seamless, highly readable and wonderfully inventive work in its own right.”

WINNER — Governor General’s Literary Award for Translation

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.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

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.

Reviews and Praise

“Once again, Québec author Eric 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 … a contemporary masterpiece of literature and social commentary.” (Ian Thomas Shaw, Ottawa Review of Books)

“An unforgettable tall tale … consistently entertaining.” (Marcie McCauley, 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)

“A great Canadian book to get those who love to laugh this holiday season.” (CBC Books)

“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 Malone, Tony’s Reading List)

“By turns caustic, fierce and moving, this sinuous novel is chock full of interwoven stories, comical scenes and larger-than-life, hilarious characters. The novelist casts his spell to rework historical events in a magical world, blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality, between centuries past and the year 2000 … Brilliant and exhilarating.” (Suzanne Giguère, Le Devoir)

“Delightful.” (Marie-Claude Fortin, La Presse)

“A gem.” (Didier Fessou, Le Soleil)