Gabrielle Roy (2007 biography): A Passion for Writing

In 1945, Gabrielle Roy skyrocketed to fame and fortune when her first novel, The Tin Flute, became an instant hit. Over 700,000 copies sold in the United States, and the book was awarded the prestigious Prix Fémina in France. In Canada, the praise for her work was unanimous in both French and English. In 1947, the book received the Governor General’s Award. But Gabrielle Roy paid a high price for those heady days of glory: she spent thirty-two difficult years before she achieved another literary success. Through family and marital problems she clung to her vocation as a writer.rn