Unfulfilled expectations

Catherine is bold, determined, and stubborn. 

In her youth, she defies the constraints of 1930s patriarchal society and rejects the conventional path that her mother had planned for her. She decides to break the mould. 

After becoming a nurse, the young woman enlists to contribute to the war effort. Assigned to northeastern Ontario, she becomes infatuated with two wounded soldiers entrusted to her care. From then on, Catherine's destiny becomes intertwined with that of the two men. But the situation of one of them is not as clear-cut as he claims. To maintain his hard-fought freedom, he must resort to trickery, deceit, and sometimes evasion.

The post-war period brings Catherine back to Montreal. She and her friends, feminists in the shadows, demand greater social justice. However, they face the entrenched machismo of Maurice Duplessis’s era. Navigating waters that are sometimes murky and often turbulent, Catherine must reconcile her aspirations as a mother, a professional, and an activist. And above all, as a woman. 

A historical novel with contemporary resonance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

<b>Christian Beaudry</b> is a Quebec writer. During a trip, he experienced sudden visions, feelings, and altered consciousness… Emotions rose. The story of a woman, Catherine, developed, possessed him, and imposed itself. This novel is a journey through time to the land of history, emotion, and the unexpected… the land of "life" with a capital L. Christian and Catherine will surprise you. Promise.