DAY OF EPIPHANY

In Bourgault’s historical novel, an orphanage is caught up in a dangerous political venture when the Catholic church gains power in Quebec.

In the so-called Great Darkness in Quebec (between 1944 and 1959), Sister Cassandra is known by the other nuns at the orphanage where she serves as dedicated, compassionate, and perhaps a bit idealistic. Her sincere care for the children in her charge and her quiet advocacy help her mentor four teens with whom she shares a special connection. However, the orphanage hides many dark doings, including an underground infant adoption program (that Cassandra assists in) that financially benefits the diocese. Troubles increase at a rapid rate after a great fire destroys the building and Premier Maurice Duplessis decides that it would be most profitable to rebuild the orphans’ former home as a mental institution, imposing torture and hard labor on the children and adults housed in the now iron-gated compound. Running parallel to this storyline is the future-set narrative of Cassandra after she has left the order and returned to the local priest, Father Marius Normand, to shed light on the horrors she witnessed (“I have been carrying a terrible sin in my heart for a very long time. I fear I may be beyond redemption, Father. If I don’t speak of it now, it will consume me and I will become truly lost”). Based on a real-life scandal, the novel’s compelling storyline is a quick and coherent read. Cassandra is the only character who is fully fleshed out; her thoughts, motives, and desires are completely made known to the reader (Bourgault does provide additional insights into the patients and other nuns as the story progresses). The narrative contains instances of sexual assault, harassment, gore, torture, and gruesome deaths. The lurid plot and rich historical details make for compelling reading—the slow revelations of the institution’s atrocities give the tale a dark, mysterious, and gothic feel.

A steady-burning tale of unimaginable suffering.