Adèle Bibaud
Adèle Bibaud was a notable Canadian novelist born in 1854 into a literary family renowned for its contributions to Quebec's cultural landscape. Her uncle, Maximilien Bibaud, and grandfather, Michel Bibaud, were both influential figures in literature and history, which provided a rich intellectual backdrop for her own writing. Bibaud's novels often intertwined historical contexts with melodramatic narratives, reflecting both the struggles and social dynamics of her time. Her debut novel, "Trois ans en Canada," published under the pseudonym Elèda Gonneville, focuses on the British assault on Quebec City in 1759. Another significant work, "Les Fiancés de St-Eustache," explores the events surrounding the Patriots' Rebellion of 1837, portraying the French Canadian experience through tragic outcomes for its characters. As one of the few francophone women authors of the nineteenth century, Bibaud's contributions are significant not just for their content but also for illuminating the challenges faced by women writers in Quebec. She passed away in 1941 at the age of eighty-six, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inform discussions about women's roles in literature and history.
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Subject Terms
Adèle Bibaud
Author
- Born: March 3, 1854
- Birthplace: Quebec, Canada
- Died: February 14, 1941
- Place of death: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Adèle Bibaud was born in 1854 into an eminent family that was already known for its literary accomplishments. Her uncle Maximilien Bibaud (1824-1887) was the author of literary studies, including Le Panthéon canadien, of which Bibaud and her sister, Victoria, prepared an edition in 1891. She also was the granddaughter of Michel Bibaud (1782-1857), a poet and one of Quebec’s first historians.
Her novels express some of the interests of her grandfather, embellishing historical situations with melodramatic adventures and romantic misunderstandings. Her first novel, Trois ans en Canada, was published under the pseudonym Elèda Gonneville and concerns the British attack on Quebec City in 1759. Likewise, her novel Les Fiancés de St-Eustache, published under her own name, is an historical fictional account set during the Patriots’ Rebellion of 1837. Both of these melodramatic works end with a resounding defeat for the French Canadians in which all or most of the major characters are killed.
Bibaud died in 1941 at the age of eighty-six. As one of only two francophone women to publish a novel in the nineteenth century (the other was Laure Conan), the significance of Bibaud’s work lies neither in its literary form nor in its historical interpretations but rather in the light it sheds on the situation of the woman writer in Quebec at the turn of the century.