Bilingual Being
Author | : Kathleen Saint-Onge |
Publisher | : McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |
Total Pages | : 354 |
Release | : 2013-04-01 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780773588288 |
ISBN-13 | : 0773588280 |
Rating | : 4/5 (280 Downloads) |
Download or read book Bilingual Being written by Kathleen Saint-Onge and published by McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. This book was released on 2013-04-01 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by a survivor of childhood abuse, this moving memoir traces the influence of the author's mother tongue in the formation of her identity, and the role her second language played in providing a psychological sanctuary. Kathleen Saint-Onge reflects on the ambiguities of growing up in a primarily French household while attending English schools as she richly recounts the emotional gains and losses of a life lived in two languages. A testament to the power of language in determining feelings of belonging or alienation, Bilingual Being also presents a portrait of the 1960s in Quebec and the changing role of the Catholic Church. Depicting with warmth and humour her own developing independence gained at school, Saint-Onge reveals the tensions between the social world of her evolving English and her deep roots in French-speaking Quebec City. It is an exploration of hope where language provides an escape from traumatic memories and a chance to reconstruct a secure sense of self. Bilingual Being is a superbly crafted autobiography that seamlessly moves from the remembrance of abuse to observations of living bilingualism and the gradual unfolding of recovery in adulthood. It is a compelling, beautiful, and brave narrative that tells a wider story about human resilience and the impact of language in creating new possibilities for life.