author
Mary S. (Mary Sollace) Saxe
1868–1942
A pioneering librarian in Quebec, this early 20th-century writer brought French Canadian life to young readers with warmth and curiosity. Her best-known book, Our Little Quebec Cousin, reflects both her love of books and her close knowledge of the community she served.
1 Audiobook
Our Little Quebec Cousin
by Mary S. (Mary Sollace) Saxe
About the author
Born in Saint Albans, Vermont, on February 23, 1868, Mary Sollace Saxe became a Canadian librarian and author whose career was closely tied to Montreal and Westmount. She moved to Quebec in the late 19th century and is remembered as an early champion of public library service for children.
Saxe worked at the Westmount Public Library from the early 1900s into the 1930s, where she helped shape its children's services. Alongside her library work, she wrote essays, reviews, and at least one well-known book, Our Little Quebec Cousin (1919), which introduced young readers to everyday life and culture in Quebec.
She died in Montreal on May 27, 1942. Today she is remembered not only as a writer, but also as part of the early development of modern public librarianship in Quebec.