Elle: A Novel

Elle by Douglas Glover is an inventive and darkly comic work of Canadian historical fiction, winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award. Inspired by a true sixteenth-century story, the novel follows a young French noblewoman abandoned on the desolate Isle of Demons during Jacques Cartier’s final attempt to establish a colony in Canada.

Marooned with her lover and nurse, Elle faces hunger, loss, isolation, and a landscape filled with real and imagined dangers. Glover transforms the historical record into a bold, surreal narrative that blends adventure, myth, satire, violence, spirituality, and black humour.

Through Elle’s fierce and unconventional voice, the novel also examines European exploration, first contact, colonial ambition, and the tragic misunderstandings between newcomers and Indigenous peoples.

A strong choice for readers who enjoy Canadian literary fiction, experimental historical novels, and unconventional retellings of early Canadian history.

Paperback, Very Good