Description
Port Alfred, 1932
Emma Potvin returns home, heartbroken after a tumultuous stay in Arvida. The loss of her first love has left a still-raw scar. Surrounded by her family, she tries to rebuild her life. At seventeen, all dreams seem possible. But the economic crisis drags on despite the recent reopening of the paper mill. And a devastating fire soon deepens the climate of uncertainty. Convinced that women must contribute to the collective effort, Emma refuses to be a mere spectator. She gets a job as a secretary at the factory, clashing daily with a recalcitrant boss. On the construction site of the new town hall, she meets a worker who awakens unsettling feelings within her, feelings that will give her the opportunity to examine her ambitions. For Emma, who always aims higher, it may be time to return to her studies to become a teacher, even if this future plan requires submitting to the nuns' demands. Will she finally leave the nest? Will she follow the path laid out or will she soar towards that long-awaited horizon?
Through her vivid and sensitive writing, Julie Boulianne tells the story of an extraordinary heroine, harboring aspirations that transcend those expected of her station. A second volume that is both liberating and inspiring.
