Ms. Penny’s novels were translated into 23 languages before they were finally translated into Quebec French in 2010, partly reflecting the cultural divide in the province.

“My books are love letters to Quebec — the language of my characters is French and I wanted my characters to live in that language,” Ms. Penny, 59, said. “The translation meant so much to me because I wanted my friends and neighbors to be able to read them.”

The books have sold well with both English- and French-speaking Quebecers. And legions of Ms. Penny’s fans take a 2.5-hour tour in Quebec City, based on her popular novel “Bury Your Dead,” where they can walk in the footsteps of Gamache as he investigates the murder of an amateur archaeologist at the Literary and Historical Society of Québec.

Ms. Penny and I also chatted about Quebec’s culture wars, which she experienced while living in Quebec City during the 1995 referendum on the province’s independence.

She pointed out that Quebec had an English minority surrounded by a French majority, who were themselves eclipsed by an English majority in the rest of the country. So in Quebec, she noted, everyone defines themselves as “The Other,” creating a sense of alienation that both inspired and repelled.

“As much as the English don’t know the French, the French don’t know the English,” she said.

In multilingual Knowlton, however, she stressed that a love of country living and nature overcame any linguistic differences. Even when she was living in Quebec City, and her French was rudimentary, she said, she was “never made to feel like I didn’t belong,” even when she would accidentally order “flaming mice” in a restaurant.

Ms. Penny, who oozes humor and easy conviviality, has overcome her fair share of adversity. She said she was on the brink of suicide in her late 30s, consumed with fear of failure and an alcohol problem. She had five years of writer’s block, and her first manuscript was rejected by at least 50 publishers.