The Devil's Paintbrush

Marguerite Andersen is a professor of French studies at the University
of Guelph.

Lucie Tourangeau, a half-Mohawk, is the mother of seven children and two
adopted children. She is an ardent supporter of the pro-life
movement—so much so that while other children play “doctor,” her
kids play “abortion.” Lucie’s husband has left and she has very
little money. The town has given her a house by the river that has
become a “pigsty.” Lucie’s oldest son meets a beautiful young
woman from a “good” family and together they manage to clean and fix
up the house while Lucie is away. Their pride in their work and their
love are short-lived.

There is a lot of drama in The Devil’s Paintbrush: love, sex,
adultery, rape, incest, poverty, accidents, illness,
class-consciousness, and racism. In Brochu’s compelling story of hope
and disappointment, “words full of ardour and absurd happiness and a
boundless love” are nothing but an illusion, especially when Mohawk
blood runs in your veins.