Maria Chapdelaine

Maria Chapdelaine is a romance novel written in 1913 by the Breton writer Louis Hémon, who was then residing in Quebec. Aimed at young French and Quebecois people, the book had been included in school curricula, translated, and has been extensively analyzed and adapted. Plot After the man she loves dies suddenly, Maria must choose which of two suitors to marry. One offers a change to life in the big city, but Maria decides to stay in the countryside. Publication Hémon, a journalist, came to rural Quebec to gather ideas for a novel. He supported himself by working on a farm. After hearing various stories from area residents, he wrote a romantic story, basing the character of the heroine on a young woman he had met. In 1913, he submitted the manuscript for publication; he then left Quebec to travel to western Canada, but was hit by a train and died before learning of his book's success. His book was illustrated by a famous French Canadian painter Clarence Gagnon. In 1921, the book was translated into English by Andrew McPhail. A translation by W. H. Blake was published the same year.