Le Petit Hébert collects a series of essays that Chantal Hébert published in the Quebec-based magazine L’actualité between 2008 and 2015 (or thereabouts; could go a bit earlier). About two-thirds of the book is divided into four sections, one for each of the four major political parties (Cons, Libs, NDP and the Bloc—sorry, Greens). In these, she gives something of an abridged and selected history, offering essays that highlight the challenges and travails each faced in the years between Stephen Harper forming government in 2008 and Justin Trudeau dethroning him in 2015. The rest of the book comprises a fifth section that could be called “misc,” which collects a range of essays on other topics pertaining to Canadian politics, particularly as it affects Quebec.
Though billed as something of a Canadian politics primer (the subtitle is “La Politique Canadienne Expliquée a mon voisin,“ or “Canadian politics explained to my neighbour”), there doesn’t seem to be any explanatory text added, nor are there definitions outside of what would have appeared in the original articles, whose target audience doubtless already had at least a passing familiarity with the issues of the day. Said audience was also Quebecois, and every story is viewed through that prism (I’d be very surprised if this was ever translated into English).
Hébert is a seasoned reporter with a strong, eloquent style, though her love of idioms makes some passages difficult to understand not only for those not fluent in french, but also those not familiar with Quebec expressions (any idea what it means to be “between the tree and the bark”? Neither does my wife, and she’s as bilingual as they come). Still, the book charted nicely with the period of time in whcih I started following politics, and it was interesting to read about events I recall with the added analysts of an expert in Canadian politics. It’s worth a read if that’s your thing (and if you understand French).