For Sure — France Daigle

For Sure is among other things a labyrinth, a maze, an exploration of the folly of numbers, a repository, a defense and an illustration of the Chiac language. Written in dazzling prose -- which is occasionally interrupted by surprising bits of information, biography, and definitions that appear on the page -- Daigle perfectly captures the essence of a place and offers us a reflection on minority cultures and their obsession with language.

It is also the continuing story of Terry and Carmen, familiar to us from previous works, their children Etienne and Marianne, and all those who gravitate around the Babar, the local bar in Moncton -- the Zablonskis, Zed, Pomme -- artists and ordinary people who question their place in the world from a distinct point of view that is informed by their geography, and by their history, politics, and culture.

Masterfully translated from French by award-winning translator Robert Majzels, For Sure is the moving story of a family and a surprising, staggeringly original work that represents a corner of our country.