Death may seem a grim subject matter but, in the capable hands of Suzanne Myre, nothing is beyond humour. Though at times sincere, sorrowful, and even a tad gruesome, Death Sentences is also wry, mordant, and amusingly ironic.

Death Sentences features 13 unique short stories, thematically united by death, sex, and existential angst. Solitary and dejected characters explore Montreal’s parks and alleys, seeking comfort and contending with their own everyday tragedies. A woman contemplates the deadly consequences of an almond croissant; another escapes her worries in a monastery. Precocious children’s fates are intertwined with a Rottweiler’s. Young girls fall in love with the most unlikely partners and a woman seeks salvation in a most unconventional way. The tales in Death Sentences intrigue, surprise, and entertain, from one page to the next.

Suzanne Myre is a prolific and critically acclaimed Montreal writer, specializing in the short story genre. She was shortlisted for the Grand Prix littéraire France-Québec (2003) and the Prix des libraires (2004). Death Sentences is the first translation of her work.

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Cassidy Hildebrand recently completed a master’s of arts in translation studies with a specialization in literary translation at the University of Ottawa. She has worked as a freelance translator for the past six years.

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