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Holy Cream Puff cover

  • eBook Edition
    • 978-1-5255-1787-7
    • epub, mobi, pdf files
  • Keywords
    • 1940s ’50s,
    • French Canadian,
    • Quebec,
    • East End Maisonneuve,
    • Generational stories,
    • Montreal childhood,
    • Montreal culture

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Holy Cream Puff
by Nicolas Ardanaz


Holy Cream Puff recounts the incomparable encounters of a young boy who revels in the joie de vivre of Maisonneuve, an East End of Montreal francophone community in the 1940s and 1950s. Charged with an abundance of humorous and mischievous ploys ready to be ignited at a moment’s notice, Nicolas, his admirable dog, and their jovial gang form a unique bond to support one another. You will discover how Nicolas deals with the many challenging moments of his life: Amusing: “We bombarded them with snowballs and ran away to our impregnable snow fort in the alley to defend against their counter attack.” Suspenseful: “The ghastly silence of the night was frightening. The sounds of the attendants unloading a dead body interrupted the silence.” Gripping: “A huge white giant dressed in black appeared from nowhere. The monster that swallows kids that don’t speak English, I thought, trembling.” Nail-biting: “With one-minute remaining, the score was tied 2-2. My heart pounded like a thousand drums and the roaring of the crowd vibrated right down to my bones.” Heart-breaking at times: “The taxi drove off. I yelled hysterically. My dog’s eyes opened for an instant. He panted and gasped to regain his breath.” Learning important values: “Michel taught me to never misjudge anyone. He dealt with everyday living with dignity. I discovered Michel’s IQ was higher than the rest of us average guys.” Contesting life lessons: “You know papa, the more I learn about God at school, the more confused I become.” “I don’t always understand either my son. The mysteries of life are exactly that, a mystery.”


Nicolas Ardanaz photo

Dr. Nicolas Ardanaz, the son of Spanish and Basque parents, was born and raised in East End Montreal. He is a graduate of Université Laval, Québec City. He crowned forty-five-years of his career in Education in Canada and Europe as the Superintendent of Schools of the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique. He is the proud grandfather of six wonderful grandchildren and resides in sunny Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Canada.


Contributors

Author
Nicolas Ardanaz
Illustrator
Irvin Walkes


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