“The maternal earth”, Anne-Marie Turcotte

With The maternal land, author Anne-Marie Turcotte has written a successful first novel full of nostalgia. About to leave her native Témiscouata to go study in the city, the protagonist recalls her childhood memories marked by the music of Les Colocs, in the 1990s. While parading down Principale Street, Anne also begins to dream of a time that she has not known, that of log driving and rank schools. Throughout the book, the Quebec writer, who works in Manitoba, brilliantly interweaves eras and legends. With expressions from yesteryear, she also highlights the ingenuity of women who once fought more than one battle. “Giving your life a dozen or fifteen times, sometimes at the risk of your life, is worth as much as giving your life on a battlefield,” emphasizes Anne. Especially since these mothers have forged the territory, demanding paths allowing them to get to the hospital in time for childbirth.

The maternal land

★★★ 1/2

Anne-Marie Turcotte, Les Éditions XYZ, Montreal, 2024, 208 pages

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