Set in the isolated, close-knit farming community of Chenal du Moine near Sorel, The Outlander (originally published in French as Le Survenant) begins with the unexpected arrival of a tall, rugged stranger. Arriving at the Beauchemin family farm one autumn evening seeking a meal and a place to sleep, this enigmatic wanderer quickly integrates himself as a farmhand.

His presence profoundly transforms the life of a small community that has, until now, remained stubbornly closed to the outside world. He wins the deep admiration of the aging patriarch, Father Didace, who comes to love him like a son, and awakens the heart of Angélina, the neighbor's daughter, who flourishes in his presence. Though his stay is destined to be fleeting, he leaves the village irrevocably changed. Winning the 1950 Governor General's Literary Award, Germaine Guèvremont's novel is a beautiful, atmospheric masterpiece of mid-century Canadian literature.