Cold Chaos: Stories from a North

by Nathalie Guilbeault, Ashley Pomeroy (Narrator)

Cold Chaos, Stories from a North, is Nathalie Guilbeault’s first collection of short stories. Set in northern Quebec, where the author lived most of her adolescent years, the stories decompose the emotional and physical realities of living between the 49th and 55th northern parallels, inside the peacefulness and isolation of its landscape.

Humorous, dark, and sometimes tragic, Guilbeault's fourteen stories wink at each other, bringing the reader into a larger narrative, one that brushes against the themes of loss; of love; of coming-of-age. Auto-fictive in essence, Guilbeault's writings press on memory's core, a place where imagination and truths mingle.

Audible Audio

Published January 15, 2026

Reviews

[John Ivery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Chaos: Stories from a North by Nathalie Guilbeault is a reflective and atmospheric collection that captures the emotional depth of life shaped by isolation, memory, and landscape.

Set in northern Quebec, the stories are interconnected through themes of love, loss, and personal growth, creating a subtle yet cohesive narrative experience. Guilbeault’s writing blends realism with introspection, allowing moments of humor, darkness, and quiet reflection to coexist naturally.

What stands out is the way the collection explores the relationship between environment and identity. The stark northern setting becomes more than a backdrop it actively shapes the characters and their emotional journeys.

A thoughtful and immersive read for fans of literary fiction, character driven storytelling, and introspective short story collections.