Little Russia

Francis Desharnais (author)

Helge Dascher (translator)

Pow Pow Press

A small village in the north of Quebec, Guyenne is run as a cooperative, with 50% of the inhabitants’ paycheques going into a communal pot to develop the colony—hence the village’s nickname of “Little Russia.” Based on the memories of author Francis Desharnais’ grandparents, who lived in Guyenne from 1948 to 1968, this moving graphic novel delves into family history to explore Canada’s rural heritage through the lens of both grassroots socialism and early feminism. An intimate story of epic scale, and the winner of multiple “Best Book” awards, Little Russia is a fascinating foray into an unusual and largely forgotten social experiment.