The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches () is a novel by Canadian novelist Gaétan Soucy. It was one of the novels chosen for inclusion in the French version of Canada Reads, broadcast on Radio-Canada in 2004, where it was championed by actor, film director, screenwriter, and musician Micheline Lanctôt. The book caused a sensation in Quebec and was immediately translated into more than ten languages. It was translated into English as The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches by Sheila Fischman. Plot The novel is about two siblings who live in complete isolation with their father. They are both his "sons". One day the father kills himself by hanging and his sons decide one of them needs to go to the nearby village to get a coffin. While in the village it is revealed that one of the sons is actually a female, although she has no concept of that (she has no idea of sexuality and thinks she was castrated when she was very young and that is why she doesn't have testicles). It also becomes apparent she has been being used for sex by her brother and there are even more nefarious occurrences which have been happening on their property. However; she has such little understanding of the outside world, that she believes all of this to be completely normal and rejects the outsiders' views of her family situation. The main character's only source of knowledge is from the books found in her household library. Most of these books are medieval stories about chivalry, knighthood and saving princesses. She becomes somewhat infatuated with the mine inspector she meets In the village who questions her about her living situation. She impulsively tries to get him to have sex with her, although this is more of a carnal urge and something she is probably used to with her brother and father. He succumbs at first but ultimately denies her, making her upset. He goes on to tell her that others will come and try to change her way of life. She flees in anger, riding the family horse back to their mansion. Once there, she encounters her brother about to dismember and burn their father's body. She informs him about what she has learned in the village and urges him not to do anything to their father's corpse. Her brother then goes through the house