Au large de l'écueil: roman canadien

The great liner Laurentic glides up the Saint‑Lawrence, cutting a sleek line through calm waters while the summer sun bathes the deck in golden light. Passengers lean over railings and recline in deck chairs, taking in the patchwork of islands, lighthouses and quaint villages that drift past—Orléans, Saint‑Jean, the towering spires of Saint‑Michel and Notre‑Dame‑de‑Lourdes. The river’s rhythm, punctuated by the cheerful noon bell, creates a sense of timeless travel, and the ship’s captain seems to command the vessel with a quiet, almost poetic authority.

Among the travelers, Jules Hébert and Marguerite Delorme are drawn together by the shared awe of the landscape. Their conversation flits between observations of the ship’s imposing figure and the deeper currents of their own lives, each revealing fragments of past voyages, youthful hopes, and a fierce love for the Canadian land they now behold. As the Laurentic draws nearer to Québec, their newfound intimacy hints at possibilities that will shape the journey ahead, inviting listeners to follow their story as it unfolds along the river’s edge.