Donat Coste
Donat Coste, originally named Daniel Boudreau, was a Canadian author born in 1912 in Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick. Orphaned at a young age, he was adopted by a French industrialist, J. E. Coste, and spent part of his early education in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, French territories near Canada. By the age of sixteen, Coste wrote his first novel, *Les Deux Amours*, but he faced significant health challenges that confined him to the hospital for twelve years. After recovering, he resumed work and became involved in a printing and publishing house at the onset of World War II.
Coste's literary contributions are significant in the context of Canadian identity, particularly regarding Acadian culture. He actively participated in discussions about the acceptance and recognition of diverse cultures within Canada. His notable work, *L'Enfant noir*, published in 1950, critiqued societal hypocrisy. Coste's legacy reflects the evolving cultural landscape of Acadians and their integration into Canadian society. He passed away on April 25, 1957, at the age of forty-five, leaving behind a notable impact on Canadian literature and cultural discourse.
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Subject Terms
Donat Coste
Author
- Born: January 12, 1912
- Birthplace: Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick, Canada
- Died: April 25, 1957
Biography
Born Daniel Boudreau in Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick, in 1912, the future author would lose both parents at three years of age. A French industrialist named J. E. Coste adopted the orphan, whose name was changed to Donat Coste. His early school years took him to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, islands off the Canadian coast which remained French territory. At fifteen, he transferred to a Christian school.
Coste’s first novel, Les Deux Amours, was written at age sixteen. A chronic illness kept him in the hospital for twelve years. His health was eventually restored so that by age thirty, he could once again work. At the debut of World War II, Coste found a job in a combination print shop/publishing house.
Coste engaged fully in the ongoing debate regarding the pluralistic shape of a national Canadian identity. Identifying with Acadians, Coste witnessed the gradual acceptance of the cultures of Acadians and other minorities as legitimate parts of Canadian society. He wrote the novel L’Enfant noir, which saw publication in 1950. It denounced hypocrisy in modern life. By the mid-1950 the cultural issues for Acadians were no longer in question. Coste died on April 25, 1957, at forty-five years of age.