<DIV><p>This is the first in a trilogy that provides us with the back-story to the characters of Michel Tremblay's great <I>Chronicles of Plateau Mont-Royal</I>, particularly of his mother "Nana," <I>The Fat Woman Next Door </I>. . . and his maternal grandmother, who, though largely uneducated, was a voracious reader and introduced him to books that would inspire his great literary opus.</p><p>One of the most produced and prominent playwrights in Canadian theater history, <B>Michel Tremblay </B>is considered the father of the Quebec language. His dramatic, literary, and autobiographical works have long enjoyed international popularity.</p><p><B>Sheila Fischman </B>is a Governor General's Award-winning translator.</p></DIV>