Twenty-One Cardinals

Starred review from August 10, 2015
Crafted with expertise and infused with dark humor, this novel showcases Saucier's talent, now being discovered by English-speaking readers. The Cardinals raised their 21 children in the mining community of Norcoville, Quebec and 30 years after their mine closed, they reunite at a mining conference where the Cardinal patriarch is being honored. For the first time in decades, all 21 Cardinal children and their parents will be assembled in one place. Knowing they will be counted, the Cardinal children realize that the secret they've been harboring will be revealed. The responsibility for storytelling in this novel shifts between the different children. First the youngest, then the eldest daughter; one-by-one through to Carmelle, a twin who's twin is conspicuously absent, the Cardinal children fill in the gaps in each other's stories. They tell of family traditions, of the diaspora that defines their adult lives and finally of the tragedy that led to their long separation. This slim tightly written novel masterfully tells a big story, flush in dark secrets, social commentary and an army of memorable characters.