Wildlives — Monique Proulx

Deep in the wilderness of the Laurentian mountain range lives a community of troubled souls. There's Lila, the landlady of the forest who shoulders a terrible guilt; the young, beautiful and carefree Violette, who bears deep childhood scars; and the boy Jeremie, who whispers his confessions to frogs and ants in the forest. There's Claire who writes murder scenes, and Simon, who cares for his brother's son while pining for various women. Each character has come to this forgiving Eden to escape some private trauma; forced to interact through loneliness and proximity, they learn each other's secrets, with stunning consequences. At once tender and uplifting, Wildlives is a beautiful novel about the nature of beauty and its infinite power to heal.