The Road Past Altamont Paperback – December 1, 1993

Set in rural Manitoba, this series of fictional reminiscences is essentially a meditation on youth and old age with loads of local color.

item as described and delivered in a timely manner

The story is really lovely. I have read many french to english translations and this is definitely one of the best ones. It wasn't at all choppy. Really enjoyed reading it.

a beautiful tender and touching Canadian story a great read

This novel is a set of four stories told by the narrator Christine of her growing up and learning her place in the world, in time and in the history of her family. There is a inherent urge to travel to explore to branch out and yet when one finds at the end of that travelling is what one had at the beginning. Christine's mother, Eveline or Maman, finds that as she grows old her resemblance loses that of her father who felt the need to move his family from teh hills of Quebec to the flat plains of Manitoba to that of her mother (Memere to Christine) who always regretted the move. There is no beginning. There is no end. There is just a perpetual cycle of the generations with each compelled to explore and learn the lessons of the old

Gabrielle Roy is one of my favorite authors and this book is just another example of how she is able, with few well chosen words, to reach deep into the human spirit. On the surface this is a simple story of a little girl growing up and her small adventures with her grand-mother, an older gentlemen in the neighborhood, and her own mother. And yet, it is so much more. It is about growing old. It is about memories. It is about what makes husband and wives stay together against all odds. It is about what makes life a special gift to each and every one of us. If you have not yet read Gabrielle Roy, you are in for a very unique and special treat!!

A sweet gentle book about life. The book goes into childhood and old age plus in between. The book is short, contains four sections about the life of Christine, from childhood until she is getting ready to go travelling around many places. It contains much philosophy about life and philosophy changes as one grows old. Some very interesting philosophy. How life changes, yet stays the same. Fascinating.The book begins when Christine is six and is sent to visit her grandmother in her Manitoba village. Her grandmother wants Christine to visit, the little girl is worried, grandmother believes in cleanliness, discipline, and order. Grandmother is living by herself, she has many grandchildren too busy to visit, very quick visits. The village is on the outskirts of the prairie. Christine is bored as is Grandmother. But the two enjoy each other's company. Grandmother makes her granddaughter a doll. This doll is made from so many different pieces and parts. Grandmother throws nothing away, but puts everything to use. Store bought stuff is just cheap junk. Christine is fascinated by her grandmother, so old, but talented. Mother, Eveline, worries about her mother living there alone when she could be living with the family. She goes to the village, Grandmother has planted a garden, will have many vegetables. Eveline says at your age, mother, you should be resting, not planting vegetables to feed everyone. Finally Grandmother is talked into living with family. Christine thinks Grandmother is wonderful, she can do anything. She was a beautiful woman when she was young Maman tells Christine.Two years later, Grandmother is dead, Christine is disconsolate, unhappy. She plays around the neighborhood, meets an elderly gentlemen. Christine is eight. The gentleman over eighty. A widower, children too busy to visit. The two become good friends. He has traveled much, Christine travels in her imagination. Then the elderly gentleman invites her to take a trip to Lake Winnipeg where she has never been, nor has her mother who doesn't have enough time to go. Christine loves this big lake of water, comes home and tells her mom how fascinating it is. So big, so great, so wonderful. She raves on and on.Now eleven, Christine has a friend, Florence, who is a mover. Every Saturday Florence goes with her father to move people from one home to another. Christine is so envious. She would love to see different areas around the city. So early Christine sneaks off. She goes with the movers. She meets a poor family dragging one load of old broken down furniture to another old house. Christine sees what a sorry job that would be to have. Nobody looks happy. She finds she is so lucky to have a nice, big house to live in.Christine is grown, she drives her mother to visit her brother's ranch. Christine loves the prairie country where she was born. She loves the wide open spaces. Eveline misses the hill country where she was born. Christine feels it is too closed in. One time, when Christine was driving her mother away from her uncle's ranch, she comes across a hill country in southern Manitoba, the Pembina Mountains. The tiny town of Altamont. Maman was delighted, so much like home, she got out of the car to climb around the hills.I heard of the book from Fergus, a Canadian, who recommended this book as one of the best of Canadian woman writers. I loved the characters talks of their philosophies of life. Ms Roy gets into the minds and hearts of her characters and of the world around. This book needs to be read. It is hard to review. I read one of Ms Roy's books when I was very young, but never this one until now.

This novel is a set of four stories told by the narrator Christine of her growing up and learning her place in the world, in time and in the history of her family. There is a inherent urge to travel to explore to branch out and yet when one finds at the end of that travelling is what one had at the beginning. Christine's mother, Eveline or Maman, finds that as she grows old her resemblance loses that of her father who felt the need to move his family from teh hills of Quebec to the flat plains of Manitoba to that of her mother (Memere to Christine) who always regretted the move. There is no beginning. There is no end. There is just a perpetual cycle of the generations with each compelled to explore and learn the lessons of the old

I did read this book before and some of her other ones and I find the depth of her characters interesting and revealing in terms of human nature.