A new novel by Canadian author Shelley Wood imagines what childhood might have been like for the Dionne quintuplets.
The Dionne quintuplets are shown in a 1952 photo. Front row Cecile and Yvonne, and back row Marie, Emilie and Annette. It was a story stranger than fiction: Five identical girls, made famous by dint of their against-all-odds existence, separated from their family to become one of Canada's biggest tourist attractions at a profit to many, including the Ontario government.
"A lot of people have really, really entrenched beliefs about what happened way back when," Wood said in a phone interview. "My hope, most of all, is that people would come away not angry at me for the fictional choices I made, but rather, inspired to rethink some of the things they thought about prior."
"These women have been through so much, and even just daring to imagine what a small portion of that was like is a little bit of arrogance on my part," said Wood, who is donating a share of the novel's proceeds to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. "This book is clearly and unambiguously presented as a fictional version of a major chapter of worldwide media history," said Carlo Tarini, a communications consultant who works with the sisters.
With the Ontario government's intervention, Anette, Cecile, Emilie, Marie and Yvonne Dionne were installed in a custom-built hospital/nursery across the road from their family homestead, where they were tended to by a team of nurses and teachers. At its peak, Quintland brought an estimated $500 million to the northern Ontario economy, when five million tourists observed the girls through one-way glass.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New challenges with Canadian bobsled team 'a journey' for Melissa LotholzWHISTLER, B.C. — Melissa Lotholz is embracing some new roles with Canada’s bobsled team.After years of acting as brakeman for some of the country’s top pilots, the 26-year-old wan…
Read more »
U.S. initiates new investigations on Canadian fabricated steel importsThe United States Department of Commerce says it has initiated new investigations into whether some fabricated structural steel products from Canada, China and Mexico are being sold in the country for less than fair value.
Read more »
Impact and TFC win, Whitecaps fall as MLS season kicks offAndre Shinyashiki scored on a putback in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time in his MLS debut and the 10-man Colorado Rapids tied the Portland Timbers 3-3 on Saturday night in the coldest match in MLS history.
Read more »
‘Canadian business is on fire’: 6% of households have a SodaStream — the company has plans to triple thatNew plant opens in Mississauga as Canadian sales grow by nearly 50% last year
Read more »
Cancon can be so metaphysical, manCanadian Media Fund’s new advertising campaign attempts to change perceptions of Canadian content, but flies in the face of previously established criteria for what that content is
Read more »
Drug prices aren’t a big problem, but Ottawa’s trying to control the market anywayOpinion: New policies will reduce access to new medicines for patients and impose massive new costs on taxpayers
Read more »
Soldier found dead on N.B. base remembered as 'a good dad'A Canadian soldier found dead on a base in New Brunswick earlier this week is being remembered as a loving father who served overseas four times.
Read more »
New Waterfront Toronto chair says it's too early to cancel Quayside projectWhen Ontario's auditor general released a report in early December calling on Waterfront Toronto to slow down on its smart city project with Alphabet Inc.-backed Sidewalk Labs, it prompted the federal government to fire three Waterfront Toronto board members, including chair Helen Burstyn.
Read more »
Pot confiscation at Canadian border increased in weeks after legalization: statsNew statistics show the number of cannabis confiscations at the Canadian border increased more than 60 per cent year-over-year in the first six weeks after pot legalization.
Read more »
Comedy stars remember John Candy, who died 25 years agoCanadian comics remember John Candy as a genuine talent whose legacy continues to reverberate among new generations of fans.
Read more »