Synopses & Reviews
In this extraordinary sequel to France Daigle's novel "Just Fine, winner of the Governor General's Award for translation, the same set of characters explore their newly acquired freedom from the insular, predictable cadences of life in Acadia. As the settings change from Baltimore to Israel, San Francisco to Denmark, and Moncton to Paris, new characters emerge: Claudia, a young and independent girl who agrees to post a curious letter for a stranger in an airport; the Woman Who Smokes Only in Public and loves a man who throws out his handkerchiefs on Thursdays; the Man Who Didn't Seem to Be Reading and Can't decide where to settle down; and a rabbi or pope who shares his wisdom and unique spirituality with his fellow air travellers. A rich, sweeping, and delicate exploration of how to create and then employ freedom, this work secures France Daigle's place as the literary heir of Antonine Maillet and one of Canada's most intriguing writers. A Fine Passage was originally published in French in 2001 by Les editions du Boreal, under the title "Un Fin Passage.
Synopsis
In France Daigle's Governor General's Award-winning novel, Just Fine, the townsfolk of Dieppe dream of escape from the insular, predictable cadences of life in Acadia, and, each in their own often touching and hilarious way, changes the course of their lives. In this extraordinary sequel, we follow many of the same characters in their explorations of their newly gained freedom. And whereas Just Fine had as its central element water, rivers, deltas, springs, and movement from inner landscapes to the sea and open spaces, this book has as its central element air, wind, planes, music, and voices from around the world, underscoring the ideas of liberty and sensuality that motivate the book. A rich, sweeping, and delicate exploration of how we create and then employ our freedom in relation to those we love, A Fine Passage secures France Daigle's place as one of Canada's most intriguing writers.
About the Author
France Daigle is the author of 10 novels including Real Life, 1953, and Just Fine, which won the Governor General's Award for translation, the France Acadia Prize, the Prix Eloise, and the Prix Antonine-Maillet-Acadie Vie. She lives in Moncton, New Brunswick.