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  • Published: 25 August 2026
  • ISBN: 9780771026362
  • Imprint: McClelland & Stewart
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $95.00
Categories:

The Autumn of Madame Hélène

A Novel




Featuring the beloved character from The Piano Maker, bestselling novelist Kurt Palka is back with a heart-wrenching story of courage, family, and enduring friendship.

The Autumn of Madame Hélène takes us back to the small town of St. Homais in Nova Scotia, Canada, where Hélène Giroux is dealing with many changes, among them the loss of her long-time partner, health issues, and disturbing professional difficulties.

Hélène’s resilience is tested further when she and her daughter, Claire, are stalked by Claire’s violent ex-husband, Thomas. As Thomas’s threats escalate, certain painful choices will need to be made.

Told with mesmerizing detail and compassion, here is an engrossing story about courage and family, and about difficult decisions with life-altering consequences.

  • Published: 25 August 2026
  • ISBN: 9780771026362
  • Imprint: McClelland & Stewart
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $95.00
Categories:

About the author

Kurt Palka

The Autumn of Madame Hélène is Kurt Palka’s ninth novel, following the bestsellers The Piano Maker, Clara, shortlisted for the Hammett Prize, The Hour of the Fox, and The Orphan Girl. His work has been published throughout the Commonwealth, and in nine countries in Europe and Asia.

Also by Kurt Palka

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Praise for The Autumn of Madame Hélène

Praise for Kurt Palka and The Orphan Girl (2022):

  • “Deeply engrossing and unforgettable . . . will leave readers shouting ‘bravo’ for the resiliency of the human spirit.” Publishers Weekly
  • “Beautifully crafted, suspenseful, and rich in the historical detail Palka’s readers know and love him for, this is the perfect book to get snowed in with.” Toronto Star