Henriette Dessaulles facts for kids

Henriette Dessaulles (born February 6, 1860 – died November 17, 1946) was a Canadian journalist and diarist from Quebec. She was also known by her pen name, Fadette. Henriette was a very important early writer for women in Quebec. She is famous for her long-running column in the newspaper Le Devoir. She is also known for the diaries she wrote as a child, which were published after her death in 1971.

Early Life and Family

Henriette Dessaulles was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Her father was Georges-Casimir Dessaulles. He was the mayor of the town and later became a member of the government in Quebec and Canada. Her mother was Émilie Mondelet. Henriette's godfather was Louis-Joseph Papineau, a well-known political leader.

When Henriette was 14 years old, she started writing a diary in 1874. She was going to a convent school at the time. She kept writing in her diary until 1881. That year, she married Maurice St-Jacques. They had seven children together. Maurice St-Jacques passed away in 1897. At that time, he was running to become a politician. Henriette's father took his place and won the election.

Becoming a Journalist

After her husband passed away, Henriette Dessaulles started writing for newspapers. She wrote a column for La Patrie using the name Jean Deshayes. She also wrote for other newspapers and magazines. These included Le Journal de Françoise and La Revue moderne.

In 1910, she started writing for Le Devoir newspaper. For this paper, she wrote a popular column using the pen name Fadette. Her Fadette columns were so popular that they were collected and published as books called Lettres de Fadette. These books came out in 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1918. Henriette also wrote books for children. Some of her children's books include Les Contes de la lune (1932) and Il etait une fois (1933). She continued writing her column for Le Devoir until the 1940s. Henriette Dessaulles passed away on November 17, 1946.

Her Famous Diaries

Henriette Dessaulles' childhood diaries were published in 1971. The book was titled Fadette: Journal d'Henriette Dessaulles 1874-1881. These diaries became very popular. People loved them because they showed what a young girl thought and felt. They also gave a good look into what life was like in Quebec during that time.

In 1986, the diaries were translated into English by Liedewy Hawke. The English version was called Hopes and Dreams, The Diary of Henriette Dessaulles 1874-1881. Liedewy Hawke won two awards for her translation work: the John Glassco Translation Prize and the Canada Council Translation Prize.

See also

In Spanish: Henriette Dessaulles para niños