[1][2] Born in the Limoilou neighbourhood of Quebec City,[3] Gourdeau received a PhD in French literature from the University of Toronto.
[4] In 1992, she received a fellowship grant from Laval University to assist her in writing Analyse du discours narratif, a work of literary criticism.
That same year, Gourdeau published her first novel Maria Chapdelaine ou le Paradis retrouvé; despite some negative reaction from critics, it was awarded the Prix Robert-Cliche and the Prix littéraire Desjardins [fr].
[1] Gourdeau's 2002 story "Gros Câlisse" led to a suit for defamation by a former colleague from Laval University, who claimed that a character based on him was portrayed in a derogatory fashion in that work of fiction.
However, she did not deny that actions by that person may have played a part in her departure from the university.