Welcome to the reading nook of the Louis-Hémon Museum!
Are you passionate about literature? Are you looking for book recommendations suited to every age? You’re in the right place! Our blog is dedicated to people who love words, stories, and the emotions they evoke.
Every week, our team of avid readers offers a new suggestion. By exploring a wide range of literary genres—from classic novels to contemporary thrillers, as well as poetry and science fiction—we believe that literature has the power to transport us, educate us, and move us emotionally.
To make your search easier, this page has been organized according to the following target audiences: children, teens, and adults.
That said, no matter your age, nothing is stopping you from browsing through the different sections. The joy of reading begins with that crucial moment when you stumble upon the most beautiful book in the world by chance! 📚✨
May your reading be magical!
Note: The reading suggestions presented here are primarily books written in French, some of which have been translated into other languages. In any case, this is a wonderful opportunity to explore the richness of French-language literature, and sometimes even to learn French!
For Young Readers
Suggestions coming soon!
For Young Adults
La griffe du diable, Roger Cantin
The tale of the chasse-galerie has long been a part of our collective imagination during the holiday season. In fact, although it originates from an old French legend, the version we are most familiar with comes from Honoré Beaugrand, who published it in the newspaper La Patrie on January 31, 1891.
It tells the story of a group of lumberjacks, isolated in the depths of the woods, who make a pact with the devil to find their beloved on New Year’s Eve. They will make the journey aboard a flying bark canoe, but at no time may they invoke God or approach a church steeple, or risk losing their souls.
In La griffe du diable (The Devil’s Claw), Roger Cantin revisits this great classic, adding a much-needed depth. The man behind the screenplays for the films La guerre des tuques and Matusalem offers us a slightly more horrific and vivid version of this essential folk tale.
— Samuel Dupras, head of cultural action at the Louis-Hémon Museum
On écoutait MusiquePlus, Marie-Josée Gauvin
On écoutait MusiquePlus (We Listened to MusiquePlus), written by Marie-Josée Gauvin, is a three-part series filled with anecdotes, nostalgia, and friendship! It follows the journey of four girls—Sophie, Catherine, Rebecca, and Emmanuelle—through their lives, their loves, their pitfalls, and above all, their precious friendship.
The story takes place between the 1990s and 2000s. If you’re from that generation, you’ll undoubtedly recognize many references to the music and cinema of the time! The story takes place in Dolbeau-Mistassini, and if you’re from that town, you’ll easily identify with the settings and situations. It often talks about restaurants, the shopping center, bars, and schools—enough to bring back many memories!
I loved this book series, especially because the characters are endearing and the writing is fluid and accessible. The novel is written in Quebecois, with several expressions unique to Quebec, which makes it even more authentic.
I highly recommend this trilogy: all three volumes are excellent!
— Jérémy Gauthier, interpretive guide at the Louis-Hémon Museum
La plus grande, Davide Morosinotto
This captivating novel immerses us in the story of Shi Yu, a young woman working at an inn in 1770 in Canton, China. Abused and beaten by the owner, she decides to take her destiny into her own hands after a surprising encounter.
Shi Yu becomes an expert in martial arts and transforms into a legendary pirate nicknamed Flying Blade. The story follows her journey from the age of 6 to 46, offering a thrilling adventure filled with fights, betrayals, and epic battles. Shi Yu is an inspiring example of a strong woman, demonstrating that courage and determination can overcome the toughest obstacles. The character of Shi Yu is based on Ching Shih, a famous 18th-century Chinese pirate, which adds a fascinating historical dimension to the story.
If you enjoy pirate stories, epic adventures, and strong characters, La plus grande (The Greatest) is for you. This novel will transport you to a world where courage and intelligence are the keys to survival. Perfect for young readers looking for a change of scenery!
—Michelle Tremblay, Executive Director of the Louis-Hémon Museum
For Adults
Blackwater, Michael McDowell
A cult saga in the United States, highly praised by Stephen King.
But don’t expect horror here. The author, who is also known for writing the story and screenplay for the movie Beetlejuice, delivers a novel series with just the right amount of supernatural fiction that flirts with reality. It’s hard to resist reading the next book, and even harder to put down a chapter. Six unforgettable little books. We’d love more!
— Louise Hébert, passionate reader
Les enfants du large, Virginia Tangvald
Les enfants du large (Children of the sea) by Virginia Tangvald is a captivating story. The author offers a deep and moving exploration of her personal history, successfully transporting the reader to the heart of her narrative. There is a striking contrast between the simplicity of her writing and the events she recounts.
Born aboard her father’s boat, the famous sailor Peter Tangvald, Virginia has no memory of him, as her mother fled with her when she was just a baby. She embarks on a meticulous investigation to retrace her father’s footsteps and uncover her family’s past. Through letters, notebooks, logbooks, and testimonies, she seeks to unravel the mysteries surrounding her father and understand why death seems to haunt her family.
Interestingly, Virginia Tangvald, who is also a filmmaker, created a documentary under the same title as her debut novel. You can find it on the National Film Board (NFB) website: https://www.onf.ca/film/les-enfants-du-large/
— Michelle Tremblay, Executive Director at the Louis-Hémon Museum
La symphonie des monstres, Marc Levy
With La symphonie des monstres (The Symphony of Monsters), the incomparable Marc Levy issues a humanitarian wake-up call regarding the program of deportation of Ukrainian children orchestrated by Maria Lvova-Belova, a close associate of Vladimir Putin, during the Russian invasion.
Rooted in reality, this narrative inevitably evokes the horrors of residential schools and the disastrous consequences of forced uprooting and indoctrination of future generations.
Set against the backdrop of war and heartbreak, where a heavy sense of helplessness sometimes prevails, La symphonie des monstres goes far beyond this great humanitarian tragedy. It is an act of resistance, a hymn to hope and solidarity, a rallying cry, and a profound story where every action counts in countering the threats of the oppressor.
Finally, it is with deep emotion that we dedicate this reading suggestion to the memory of our dear friend Pierre Bordeleau, who recently passed away. A loyal member of the book club since its inception, we are profoundly grateful for his unwavering dedication and for insisting on including this wonderful work in our program. His final literary gift will remain as a testament to his great sensitivity, insatiable thirst for knowledge, and adventurous taste for engaged literature.
— The reading club of the Hélène-Laliberté Library in Péribonka
Ils étaient l’Amérique, Serge Bouchard et Marie-Christine Lévesque
I previously introduced you to Confessions animales (Animal Confessions) by author Serge Bouchard. This time, I’d like to recommend another of his works, co-written with Marie-Christine Lévesque: *Ils étaient l’Amérique*. Before diving into the heart of the subject, it seems important to mention that this third volume in the series De remarquables oubliés (Remarkable forgotten people) was completed posthumously, as both authors passed away during its creation.
What do you know about the peoples who inhabited America before the arrival of Europeans? Often overlooked in historical narratives, Indigenous peoples underwent profound and tragic transformations following colonization. Their languages, ways of life, and beliefs were radically different from those of the Europeans, making the encounter between these two worlds deeply complex.
In this book, while historical figures such as Christopher Columbus, Jacques Cartier, and Samuel de Champlain are discussed, they are not portrayed through the glorifying lens to which we are accustomed. The true heroes of this story are Donnacona, Anadabijou, Pontiac, Membertou, and many other significant figures of America whose stories have largely been forgotten. These individuals left no written records, as their traditions relied primarily on oral transmission.
Betrayal, abductions, diseases, religion—Serge Bouchard and Marie-Christine Lévesque address these themes with rigor and sensitivity. Through a series of accessible short texts, they offer an essential and often moving perspective on the history of this continent.
For all these reasons, I highly recommend Ils étaient l’Amérique (They were America).
— Jérémy Gauthier, interpretive guide at the Louis-Hémon Museum
Révoltée, Evguénia Iarovslavskaïa-Markon
I think I’ve already shared my fascination with Russia, a fascination that persists. *Révoltée* tells the story of Evguénia Iaroslavskaïa-Markon, a 29-year-old woman writing from her cell in a gulag in 1931.
Born into a wealthy family of Jewish intellectuals, Evguénia is a university graduate who speaks several languages. Initially enthusiastic about the future, she quickly becomes disillusioned with the Bolshevik dictatorship and turns to the world of outcasts, whom she considers the true revolutionaries. Evguénia decides to live on the streets and becomes a thief, driven by political conviction and a taste for risk.
She describes her experiences in the underworld of Moscow and Leningrad—among street children, drunks, prostitutes, and vagabonds—with striking honesty. Her narrative is marked by rare intensity, written in the urgency of leaving a trace before her imminent execution. She says: “If I recount all this with such frankness, it’s because I fully expect to be shot.” That sets the tone…
The author lived during a tumultuous period of Russian history. The October Revolution of 1917 overthrew the Tsarist regime and established the Bolshevik government led by Lenin. However, hopes for freedom and social justice were quickly dashed by the rise of an oppressive dictatorship. The 1920s and 1930s were marked by political purges, violent repression, and the creation of forced labor camps, such as the one on the Solovki Islands where Evguénia was imprisoned.
The manuscript was discovered in the archives of the FSB (Federal Security Service) in the Arkhangelsk region in 1996 and was first published in French in 2017.
— Michelle Tremblay, Executive Director at the Louis-Hémon Museum
Stigmates et BBQ, Stéphane Dompierre
For a good laugh, imagine yourself in the shoes of Nathalie, 40 years old, from St-Charles-Borromée, who loves routine and anonymity.
She enters a contest hoping to win the 3rd prize: a super-equipped BBQ!
Unfortunately for her, she wins the 1st prize instead: a trip to Italy…
With Dompierre’s humor and irony, you’ll get the trashy version of *Eat, Pray, Love*.
— Louise Hébert, passionate reader
Ada ou la beauté des nombres, Catherine Dufour
Discover the fascinating world of *Ada or the Beauty of Numbers* by Catherine Dufour. This biographical novel retraces the life of Ada Lovelace, a pioneer in computer science, with the author successfully capturing the essence of this historical figure through immersive and poignant storytelling. A must-read for anyone interested in the influential figures of the history of science and computing.
Born in 1815, Ada was the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron. Despite a childhood marked by illness and a strict education, Ada developed a passion for mathematics. At the age of 25, already a mother of three children, she met Charles Babbage, the inventor of the calculating machine. Ada had the intuition of what would become modern computing and wrote the first computer program in the world. Her notes, particularly those on the calculation of Bernoulli numbers, are considered the first computer program. This laid the foundation for programming and software design as we know it today!
— Michelle Tremblay, Executive Director at the Louis-Hémon Museum
L’arrache cœur, Boris Vian
This novel immerses us in a strange and poetic world. The story follows Jacquemort, a psychiatrist who arrives in a village to help the inhabitants overcome their mental illness. Instead, he helps Clémentine deliver triplets. The story is filled with eccentric characters and absurd situations, typical of Vian’s unique style.
L’arrache-coeur (The Heartbreaker) is often considered one of Boris Vian’s masterpieces. Readers appreciate its inventive prose and its exploration of the themes of madness, love, and freedom. Although written in 1953, the themes explored in this novel draw parallels with our world today, which is thought-provoking.
— Michelle Tremblay, Executive Director at the Louis-Hémon Museum
