You know, I had forgotten why I avoided some genres. I thought that my aversion to Canadian literature was from just having to analyze it at schoool throughout the years, but as it turns out that wasn’t the only reason.
The book follows Minique, a young girl growing up in Montreal in the 1600s. She and her friends move through life day by day as Minique grows to dislike the current system where she is meant to grow up and lose her power to the men around her. The church teaches women to be complacent, but there are still women around who hold their own businesses and power. Anne is one such woman, and Minique eventually goes to her to learn what she knows, before eventually deciding to become a witch in the woods, away from the town who dislikes her.
I did not finish this book. The first two thirds is essentially an autobiography of Minique as she grows up to learn to detest men and the place they put women in society, while not actually experiencing hardships as a result of being female. It is very slow and has events that simply happen without much of a narrative string through it, just the story of a girl growing up and the hardships of New France.
Also, the very Canadian writing habit of inserting random French that is unexplained throughout the text because it is set in Quebec. At least, that’s what I’ve noticed a lot of in similar books growing up.
At two thirds of the way through, the book shifts completely. The pace picks up and Minique, who had never expressed interest in anyone previously, meets a man who she thinks is a garbage person and becomes so lustful for him that it’s mostly just her thinking about sex or having sex with him. I got bored very quickly and put it down.
Ultimately, I can’t recommend it. But hey, if you think it sounds interesting, or you want to only read the part of it that sounds like your thing, go for it.