Marie Calumet is a light hearted, satirical account of rural life in the fictional parish of Saint Ildefonse, Quebec, in 1860. The appearance of Suzon, an alluring adolescent of 17 and cousin to Curé Flavel produces a scandal.The priest is forced to look reality in the face. The novelty of Suzon's sensual presence is its appearance in a place where it is traditionally forbidden: this is the first instance of a woman becoming a disturbing element in the French-Canadian novel.