The Future by Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou

In an alternate history of Detroit, the Motor City was never surrendered to the US. Its residents deal with pollution, poverty, and the legacy of racism and strange and magical things are happening: children rule over their own kingdom in the trees and burned houses regenerate themselves.

When Gloria arrives looking for answers and her missing granddaughters, at first she finds only a hungry mouse in the derelict home where her daughter was murdered. But the neighbours take pity on her and she turns to their resilience and impressive gardens for sustenance.

When a strange intuition sends Gloria into the woods of Parc Rouge, where the city's orphaned and abandoned children are rumored to have created their own society, she can't imagine the strength she will find. A richly imagined story of community and a plea for persistence in the face of our uncertain future,The Futureis a lyrical testament to the power we hold to protect the people and places we love together. (From Biblioasis)

The Futurewaschampioned by Heather O'Neill and wonCanada Reads 2024.

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Catherine Lerouxis a writer,translator and journalist from Montreal.She was shortlistedfor the2016 ScotiabankGiller Prizefor The Party Wall, which is an English translation of her French-languageshort story collectionLe mur mitoyen.

Susan Ouriouis a French and Spanish to English translator, a fiction writer and a playwright.She has previously won the Governor General's Literary Award for translation for her work.

How Catherine Leroux came up withThe Future

"There's still a huge French community in that area, in southern Ontario, the area of Windsor and also in the Michigan area so the French never left in reality but my idea was that it never became American."

"And so basically in my world, Detroit or Fort Detroit is the second biggest francophone city in North America after Montreal. So that's the setting. I think that as soon as I started being interested in the history of Detroit, it went without saying that I would have to delve into that."

It was a nice way to rewrite history and rewrite the history of language at the same time.- Catherine Leroux

"And then it was also for novelistic reasons because I wanted to be able to write dialogue that felt closer to the dialects and the French that I hear around me. And if I'm writing about English characters, but I'm writing their dialogue into French, then it can't really take that shape. So it wasa nice way to rewrite history and rewrite the history of language at the same time."

Interviews with Catherine Leroux

The Next Chapter24:50Canada Reads panelist Heather ONeill and The Future author Catherine Leroux discuss the annual battle of the books

Acclaimed Montreal writer and past Canada Reads-winning author Heather ONeill on why she chose to champion fellow Quebecer Catherine Lerouxs novel The Future in this year's debate. Leroux shares what inspired her to create a dystopian, French-speaking version of Detroit.

Here and Now Toronto9:20Canada Reads 2024 announces a new winner

The Future, by Catherine Leroux is this year's Canada Reads winner. Heather O'Neill is the champion who took the book to the top. O'Neill is a novelist, poet, and screenwriter and the first winner of Canada Reads. She was on the show.

25:00Ariana Grande's new album, and Heather O'Neill wins Canada Reads!

The Commotion Friday Group Chat convenes to talk about this weeks big blockbuster pop release Ariana Grandes Eternal Sunshine and why some fans have turned on her. Joining Elamin this week are music journalist Maura Johnston, and culture writers Niko Stratis and Anne T. Donahue. Plus, The Future by Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou and championed by Heather ONeill has won Canada Reads 2024. Heather and Catherine join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to recap the week of debates and bask in the warm glow of victory.

The Next Chapter24:50Canada Reads panelist Heather ONeill and The Future author Catherine Leroux discuss the annual battle of the books

Acclaimed Montreal writer and past Canada Reads-winning author Heather ONeill on why she chose to champion fellow Quebecer Catherine Lerouxs novel The Future in this year's debate. Leroux shares what inspired her to create a dystopian, French-speaking version of Detroit.

Airplay8:11A peak into a different reality

Catherine Leroux' novel The Future is one of the finalists for this year's edition of Canada Reads.

Windsor Morning7:45Canada Reads magnifies sales for Windsor-published novel on alternate history of Detroit

CBC's Canada Reads book debate is magnifying sales for a Windsor-published novel

The Next Chapter12:23Catherine Leroux imagines an alternate history of Detroit in her book, The Future

Set in a world where the French never surrendered the Motor City to the U.S., a woman named Gloria searches for answers after her daughter is murdered and her grandchildren go missing.

Other books by Catherine Leroux