First published in 1914 Maria Chapdelaine is considered to be a classic in Canadian literature. Maria Chapodelaine is a lyrical love story set in the harsh environment of nineteenth-century Quebec. Maria awaits the return of François, her lover. She is a young farm girl who evokes the spirit of the French families breaking land and building homes in the Hinterlands of 19th century Quebec.

A French author named Louis Hémon is best known for his book "Maria Chapdelaine." He was born in Brest, France, in 1880, and before pursuing a career in media, he pursued a legal education. He moved to Canada in 1911, where he worked as a farmhand, a lumberjack, and a journalist for several publications. The experiences Hémon had while living in Canada gave him a wealth of material for his writing, and he developed a strong interest in learning more about the lives of regular people in rural Quebec. He wrote "Maria Chapdelaine" while residing in a logging camp in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area, and the book's realistic portrayal of country life in Quebec rapidly established it as a masterpiece of Canadian literature. Tragically, Hémon passed away at the age of 31 in a train accident just one year after arriving in Canada.