Little Red Berries

A poetic novel of dreams, thought and inner drama, Little Red Berries by Yolande Villemaire unfolds in the voice of Solange Therrrien, a professor of Quebec literature at a community college outside Montreal. Haunted by a childhood relationship with a schizophrenic cousin, we meet Solange as she is finally able to grapple with its effect on her life, including the loss of several lovers. As Solange explores the writing of Quebec's greatest authors and poets with her students, she also opens the door for the reader on this valuable literary heritage. Contemporary Quebec, with all its complex struggles, is portrayed through the narrator's musings on language and history - where the personal and the cultural perspectives find expression in the individual. In the end, it is the language of the heart that prevails, as the little red berries of childhood evoke both memories and hope.