Safe Return Doubtful

translated from the French (Quebec) by Pablo Strauss – published May 2025

This short novel is based around experiments in chemical warfare that took place in Grosse Île, a small island in the St Lawrence River in Quebec in 1942. It is split into three perspectives.

The first follows an entomologist recruited by the Allied forces to test and develop biological weapons that could be spread by insects.

Theodore lives in the same region in 2024, lives Theodore, a young factory worker raised by his grandfather Émeril, who is now in a care home. A heatwave is affecting all of Québec and it coincides with an increase in violent crime.

The third is that of a horsefly who stalks Theodore and knows how he, his grandfather and the heatwave are all connected to the experiments carried out in 1942.

It’s a cleverly written piece of original eco-fiction that is bravely experimental, and understandably some parts don’t work as well as others. The horsefly’s contribution is important as it knits the parts together, but Gagné‘s writing of it feels awkward. More does succeed than fail though, and overall this is an enjoyable story. It’s Gagné‘s first book to be translated into English, and a great way to be introduced to her work.

My GoodReads score 4 / 5