A History for the Future: Rewriting Memory and Identity in Quebec (Volume 16) (Studies on the History of Quebec = Etudes D'Histoire Du Queb)

A personal debate on the future of history and memory in Quebec. In A History for the Future Jocelyn Létourneau, a leader of the new wave of Quebec intellectuals, examines the hotly debated topics of history and memory in Quebec and Canada. Rather than focus on the past itself, he considers the challenge of turning the past into a narrative that contributes to building a better society, thereby establishing a liberating legacy for that society's heirs. As relatively new societies whose memories and histories are built on European foundations, the interrelated narratives of Quebec and Canadian history provide a rich body of material for such a far-reaching reflection. By investigating the role Quebec's historical narrative plays for contemporary Quebecers, Létourneau shows how interpretations of the past affect a society's future. Annotation Stunningly intelligent, provocative, perceptive and at once scholarly and poetic, this is a major book that ranks among significant works dealing with Quebec identity. Completely original ... it is the work of an eminent intellectual whose profound, sensitive and rigorous analysis will renew the debate on this topic. This book must be read, reflected on, discussed, even taken issue with, but it must not be ignored. Louis Cornellier, Le Devoir