Dans un gant de fer

"Claire Martin's autobiography Dans un gant de fer (English: In an Iron Glove) was first published in two volumes in 1965 and 1966. Already a prizewinning Quebec writer, the author generated a wave of controversy with this detailed account of youth subjected to cruelty and brutality in the early twentieth century. Her deeply moving portrayal drew acclaim from readers who saw aspects of their own childhood experience mirrored in its pages; it also evoked resistance from traditionalists unsettled by its expose of family, church, and convent school some decades before the Quiet Revolution. Written with the passion of one who has known harsh injustices, this memoir nevertheless reflects the steady focus and narrative skill of an already seasoned writer. With a richly descriptive style and deft ironic touch, Claire Martin tells her own unforgettable story of a young person confronting and finally emerging from the oppressions of unrestrained malign authority." "Translated into English by Philip Stratford, In an Iron Glove was published by The Ryerson Press in 1968 and subsequently by Harvest House in 1975. This new edition retains the text of Stratford's translation and incorporates a new introduction and several explanatory notes by Patricia Smart. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET.