Following the life of newborn infant, Emmanuel, this great contemporary
novel of Quebec exposes a painful history central to the new
consciousness that emerged in the 1960s known as "the quiet revolution."
The story of Emmanuel and his 15 brothers and sisters spotlights the
grinding poverty under the mental regime of the Catholic Church at its
least enlightened and most inescapable. This insightful narrative
documents the hardships and cruelties of their social condition with
dark humor and passionate imagination as they endeavor to survive harsh
schools, dreary convents, and hunger.