Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers

Bride of New France Reviews

• 
  Doreen

  This novel came with a "National Bestseller" label and a glowing recommendation by Joseph Boyden, one of my favourite authors, but I was disappointed.
  
  The book tells the story of Laure Beausejour, one of the filles du roi sent by royal decree to New France between 1663 and 1673 to become marriage partners to would-be colonists and so expand the European population. The daughter of street entertainers, she is incarcerated in the Hospice de la Salpetriere which houses thousands of women: prostitutes, the indigent, and the insane. She is chosen to be one of the King's Daughters and is sent to the New World where she is married to a man who abandons her so she must survive the winter by herself in a half-built shack. Her only friend is Deskaheh, an Iroquois man.
  
  Characterization is one flaw in the book. As the protagonist, Laure is not especially well-developed. The author, in an afterword, describes Laure as "A dreamer and a pragmatist . . . [with] an insurmountable spirit" . . . [and] precocious determination" (296) but what stands out is her selfishness. She convinces Madeleine, her devoted but frail and innocent friend, to accompany her on her journey; the consequences are tragically predictable. Such selfishness makes her an unlikable character. What Desrochers describes as "precocious determination" is really naivety, a naivety which combined with selfishness and stubbornness endangers both herself and others several times throughout the novel.
  
  Furthermore, Laure behaves inconsistently: at the beginning she easily escapes her prison to visit Mireille Langlois in the hospital. (Incidentally, Mireille is someone to whom she had never spoken so even Laure's best friend wonders "why she was risking so much for Mireille, whom she disliked" (22) .) However, when Laure is chosen to go on a one-way transport to Canada, "a punishment thought by many to be worse than death" (296), she makes no attempt to escape her fate.
  
  Other characters fare no better. Madeleine is so angelic as to be unbelievable. Her one transgression is "vowing she would cause trouble in the dormitory if she were left behind" (81) when Laure is banished to Canada. With a few exceptions, those in authority are mean-spirited people with little sympathy for the suffering of others. Even the cliche of the noble savage is embodied in Deskaheh.
  
  The book was begun as an M.A. thesis project and has stayed as such: it is more a thesis than a novel. It catalogues the struggles of life in Salpetriere and in the struggling colony. Much of the plot seems contrived to use as much research as possible. There is a great deal of exposition: this happened and then this happened. The result is that the reader is indifferent to the outcome of Laure's trials and tribulations. Presumably the historical information is accurate, although the description of the climb to the top of Mount Royal in Ville-Marie (Montreal) gave me pause.
  
  The use of the present tense for historical fiction is questionable. That tense is supposed to suggest that events are happening in real time, but that is clearly not the case, so the choice is confusing.
  
  Another weakness is the extensive use of romance fiction cliches: the beautiful orphan trapped by circumstance and condemned to a loveless marriage seeks love elsewhere.
  
  The book gives a picture of the harsh realities of life in an inhospitable environment, both in Paris and in New France; as a work of fiction, however, it is less successful.
  
  Please check out my blog (
  http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
• 
  Allison

  I bought this book because I have always been interested in the history of the King's Daughters and Québec history because it's part of my personal history and that of Canada. I remembered VERY romanticized versions of the filles story in elementary school( as if Louis XIV had personally brought them over here and they all married handsome, wealthy seigneurs ) Reading this book proved that was far from the truth...these ladies didn't have any idea what life in la belle province was all about .....starting with the weather! Way different than Paris, non? The 'danger' from aboriginals ( who in reality probably helped save the lives of more Europeans than not, after all they had survived here a lot longer..) the book is a more real depiction of life in New France than those history books of long ago. But I was never sure if it wanted to be a novel or a piece of research ( I later discovered the author wrote it as a thesis) if she had stuck with the reality version it would have been far more of an interesting read, perhaps even citing real life women who may have gone rogue like Laure did....Truth is always stranger (and more interesting) than fiction.
  If you get to Montréal visit the old city and some of the wonderful museums which show how people (men and women)lived in those times. People were actually bigger and stronger (and kept their teeth longer) because they had more protein available than in the cities of France. Babies tended to survive birth as many of them were delivered by nuns who... Washed their hands!!! The museum in La Pocatiere on the south shore of the St. Lawrence (( also near one of the early seigneuries run by a woman) is an interesting visit for those interested in how Québec society evolved.
  In the end I have mixed feelings about this book...especially since I had to push myself to finish it. The author has done a lot of research so she should have kept it as a work of non- fiction a la Antonia Fraser.
• 
  Natasa

  The history might be accurate, but the storyline is stretched beyond believability, and characters are shallow. I could not believe the bride would have made the choices she did. They did not seem to ring true with the expectations that would have been in place.
• 
  Kyrsta

  Disappointing. This novel could have been so much more. The characters were one-dimensional and boring. The story was dull and predictable. I'm not sure how or why this book because a national bestseller ...
  
  Please visit my blog for my full review:
  
  http://bookchateau.blogspot.com/2012/...
• 
  Erin

  I absolutely loved the raw historical detail that was enshrined in this debut novel. Although French Canada(primarily Quebec) is very good at educating their citizens about the history and culture of our ancestors, there is a tendency to skim over details. I'm speaking about our lack of examination about the women known as the "filles de roi". We're quick to thank them about their child bearing efforts that boosted the population to a degree ,but we don't take a moment to discover the women behind the masks of history. Did they really have a happy ever after?
  
  
  What I didn't like was our female protagonist, Laure. I always felt that she was distant and there was a part of her I didn't like. But Iput aside my misgivings because I really enjoyed the attention to the time period.
• 
  Penny

  I was excited about the concept of this book but quite disappointed. It could have been so much more. I found the main character unlikeable and completely self involved. The whole storyline to do with her friend Madeleine seemed pointless to the main story. I wish the the author had focused instead on portraying the struggles and hardships of a woman who came and forged a real, ordinary life for herself instead of one who thinks she might marry a duke, collapses, goes crazy and has strange sexual encounters with a local native fellow. What was up with the whole cutting her breast thing? I just didn't get it I'm afraid.
• 
  Theresa

  Actual rating 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for recording purposes.
  
  
  This book seems to have received a lower rating that in my opinion is unjustified. The writing and story by no means were perfect but I think much more deserving than it appears. I think the author put together a fine piece of Historical Fiction but falls short in developing her characters. This being her first book I assume the mix between scholarly inclusions and character building will be better as she progresses.
  
  As for THIS book- The story was very interesting. I had never heard of the "Les Filles du Roi" (The King's Daughters) before picking this book up. The King is Louis XIV of France and the daughters refer to the approximately 800 women sent to Canada (New France or Modern Day Quebec to be precise). They were sent to the colony to be "given" to fur traders, soldiers, and others single men settled there to be wives. The main goal of the crown was to have these woman marry and begin producing children so that the colony will survive and grow. Many of these women were forced to go, some were living in poor houses, most were orphans, some were petty criminals. In addition to the majority I mentioned there were also country peasant girls who simply wanted to better their lives and saw this as an opportunity. Also there were a few "Filles de bonne naissance" which directly translates as "Daughters of Good Birth" but refers to the gentility or presumed higher class of woman sent to marry wealthy men, or selected French Military Officers of New France. Apparently, this history is commonly taught in Canada but alas I am not Canadian or more precisely Canadienńe (A person of French heritage usually living in Quebec). I understand that this book was a work of fiction but at least it has given me beginnings of knowledge that I did not possess before reading. I feel that is one of the most important reasons that we all should take the time to read.
  
  Upon my further research I'd like to share this from Wikipedia. I'm not vetting the list, but taking it at face value. I just found it interesting and wanted to include this here. Note that this is not an all inclusive list by any means.
  
  
  Hillary Clinton, descendant of filles du roi Madeleine Nieland and Jeanne Ducorps dite Leduc.
  
  Angelina Jolie, descendant of fille du roi Denise Colin.
  
  Madonna, descendant of fille du roi Anne Seigneur.
  
  Tom Bergeron, descendant of Marguerite Ardion
  
  4* (3.5)/ 3.24*
• 
  Deborah

  Oh, I really loved this book! First of all, who wouldn't love the cover? It spoke to me from the book shelf... The woman's profile so mysterious and dark and then edged all around like a cut out, gilt paper snowflake. I had to pick it up.
  
  And listen to the first quote inside:
  
  "But what shall I tell you of migrations when in this empty sky
  the precise ghosts of departed summer birds
  still trace old signs."
  
  Leonard Cohen
  "The Sparrows," In Let Us Compare Mythologies
  
  Poetic and beautiful? Yes, and so is the book.
  
  
  Suzanne Desrochers doesn't write like a novelist, particularly. She's obviously a researcher who is working on her thesis, as is expressed right up front. But what she has is a heart for her research material. She has a sensibility for it, and she's translated that to her story in a most magnificent way.
  
  While her plot development rests safely in the hands of history, Ms Desrocher is called upon to create the life of her protagonist Laure Beausejour within the confines of the times in Paris and then in Montreal in its savage and New World days. The story is absorbing in fine details of the asylum Laure has to bear as a child, the ship she must sail in and her ultimate sufferings as a lonely and mistreated wife in the barrens of Canada.
  
  What's lacking in this otherwise gorgeous novel is real heart and emotion. It really pains me to say that I didn't feel the strong emotions that should have been evoked from some of the dire circumstances presented. There were many examples of human suffering, and several examples where great love and passion are told. But the maturity of writing that would cause a reader not just to read about these passions, but to actually experience them along with the characters was missing in this book. I chalk it up to being a debut novel from a very brilliant student of migration of women to North America. She had lovable characters in mind and a great story to tell about them, but the heart of the emotions seemed difficult to pull off in every case. Sometimes it did work, but many opportunities were missed.
  
  The author shows much promise in this book, however. I loved reading the story. It was beautiful and absorbing as a tale of hardship and love...the struggles of women in the early days of populating North America. Days when sailing across the Atlantic was as dangerous as flying to the moon, and the prospect of finding a husband in Canada was as frightening as finding one in Afghanistan. My heart went out to Laure, her darling friend and her heroic lover.
  
  This is a book well worth the reading. I'm so glad I took a chance on it. I highly recommend it, and I hope Ms Desrochers will continue with her novel writing. She shows great promise! I'll be buying her next book...
  
  PS: Lovers of needlework will love the references to Laure and her
• 
  Mireille Lapensee

  I was disappointed Laure, who I felt was an entirely one-dimensional character, and an unlikeable one at that.
  
  I thought it was very strange to have the narrative written in the third person since we get very little detail outside of what is going on in Laure's head -- it comes off a little bit like stream-of-consciousness in third person, which can be effective in certain circumstances, but wasn't here. The style did help convey Laure's state-of-mind when she was left alone for an entire winter season, but that's about it.
  
  Laure was completely self-involved, and had no emotional connection to any other character in the book. Even her relationship with her supposed best friend felt false - when she died I got the impression that Laure was more upset because the situation was injurious to her. I wish that we could have heard from any other character, especially Deskaheh.
  
• 
  Ixachel

  [Originally posted on
  Futuresfading. This review is of an advance reader copy won from Goodreads.]
  
  Bride of New France, by Suzanne Desrochers, is the story of a young orphan named Laure Beausejour as she is exiled to the new world.
  
  Taken from her parents as a child, Laure was sent to Paris’ Salpêtrière, where women deemed unfit for society were placed. Laure got a brief glimpse of wealth and family while working as a servant, but when her madame passes, she must go back to the wretched conditions at the hospital. In addition the the plight of rats, the people there are severely underfed. Infants are fed a watery milk concoction and most don’t survive. One young woman, whom Laure initially despised, passes away from scurvy. Laure attempts to get a letter to the king asking for improved conditions, but the hospital’s Superior finds out. A spiteful woman, she sends Laure to Canada, still a wild country, as punishment. Once there, Laure must struggle through loss, marriage, and surviving in this new land.
  
  Laure is neither very likeable nor relatable. She initially seems bitter and jealous. Mireille, another girl at the Salpêtrière, evokes her envy. When Mireille dies, she seems to change a bit, but is still very selfish. She encourages her best friend, Madeline, to accompany her to the new world knowing fully well how dangerous this might be. Once in Canada, she endangers Madeline once more, all so she won't have to be alone. To her credit, Laure seems a bit more headstrong than other women sent to Canada. Perhaps she has even grown by the end of the book.
  
  This novel is written in the third-person–present-tense, and I don’t think it really works. It felt a bit impersonal and alienating. At times, it seemed more like a clinical look than an intimate portrait. This story relies so much on a central character that this non-connection leaves the novel feeling flat and lacking in emotion.
  
  Still, this was certainly an interesting look at how the poor of Old France were treated. How the women exiled to the New France had to make do with what they had and simply try to survive. Those interested in this time in history, as well as women's struggles, may find this book enjoyable. It is certainly very illuminating, I just wish it felt more personal.
• 
  Melissa

  Bride of New France, the debut novel from Canadian author Suzanne Desrochers, is set in Paris and New France in the latter part of the 17th century. As the novel opens the reader is introduced to Laure Beausejour, a young woman living at Paris' notorious Hospice de la Saltpetriere. Skilled at embroidery, Laure dreams of becoming a renowned seamstress and marrying well. This dream, however, is shattered when Laure is sent to New France as one of King Louis XIV's filles du roi (King's girl), a group of young women sent to the French colony to marry and raise a family.
  
  The greatest strength of this novel lies with Desrochers' rich imagery, which leaves the reader with an astounding sense of time and place. These vivid descriptions are especially pronounced when the setting of the novel shifts to New France. Indeed, the reader can almost feel the cold air and hear the wind whistling through Laure's cabin during her first winter in the colony. In her new surroundings, her sense her isolation and loneliness is palpable. Through Laure, the reader gets to experience the hardships faced by the filles du roi and the colonist in general as they tried to tame the harsh and unforgiving environment in which they settled.
  
  Although fluidly written, the manner in which this story is told makes it difficult to connect with Laure. A connection with the protagonist is also made difficult due to her lack of charisma. I was interested in Laure's struggles, but indifferent to the outcomes. Nevertheless, these facts did not impact in any overly negative way on my enjoyment of the novel.
  
  Bride of New France is a worthwhile read for any fan of historical fiction, especially those interested in novels told from the perspective of ordinary individuals rather than famous historical figures. Suzanne Desrochers is a writer to watch and I look forward to hearing more from her.
• 
  Elinor

  Four stars for historical research, two stars for bringing it to life. I did really enjoy this book about an orphan who is sent unwillingly to the backwoods of Canada in the 1600s to become the bride of an ignorant trapper, but it was difficult to summon up any heartfelt sympathy for her because the story is told in such flat prose. What I especially valued was the knowledge I gained from learning about this period of history, especially from such a dedicated historian as the author Suzanne Derochers, who wrote this originally for a Ph.D. thesis.
• 
  Zoë Danielle

  "Mourning, like everything else, was best done in silence."
  
  Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers tells the story of Laure Beausejour, a young girl growing up in a Paris dormitory after having been taken from her impoverished parents. Laure has spent a few years working as a servant in a rich woman's house, but after the woman died Laure moved into the dormitory where she and the other women there do embroidery. Laure dreams of one day becoming a famous seamstress, but her outspoken nature puts her at odds with the nuns who run the institution and she is selected to be sent across the Atlantic to New France. The year is 1669, and all Laure has heard of Canada is that to be sent there is a punishment worse than death. Despite this, she gets her best friend, the pious Madeleline, to come with her and together they set off for Ville-Marie (Montreal). Once there, the girls are expected to marry and bare many children with French soldiers. Laure, however, finds herself drawn to Deskaheh, an Iroquois who she begins a secret relationship with as she learns that New France offers possibilities she never expected.
  
  The historical details of Bride of New France is what distinguishes it, as Desrochers has clearly done her research and offers a unique and realistic perspective of what it was like the "filles du roi" sent across to be wives to strangers. She also clarifies the myth that these women were all country girls, as Laure herself is completely unprepared for her first Canadian winter having spent her entire life in Paris, not even cooking for herself. The description of the journey across the ocean was particularly interesting, as the girls had no idea how long it would take, if they would survive, and most importantly, what they would find on the other side of the ocean if they did make it there safely. Although I appreciated the portion of the novel set in France for its ability to set up what Laure's life was like prior to her journey to New France, I wish there had been more time spent in New France, as that was the part of the book I found most interesting. As a native Montrealer, I found myself drawn to Bride of New France because of the insight it offered on a historical period that I have always found extremely interesting.
  
  Although I loved Bride of New France from a historical perspective, I felt that it lacked the same strength when it came to the characters themselves. I appreciated that Desrochers tried to tell the story through the eyes of a woman who is quite independent for the time, but Laure was often so incredibly selfish that I had a difficult time relating to her. Despite knowing that her friend Madeleline wants nothing more than to become a nun, she guilts her into volunteering for what she knows will be a dangerous journey. Madeleline only ever treats Laure with love and respect, and in response Laure is more concerned about having a friend on the journey than the fact that Madeleline will be giving up her dreams and forced to marry, something she never wanted to do. Madeleline herself initially comes across as slightly one-dimensional, blandly good and pious, but she ultimately shares a secret with Laure which made her character far richer and more interesting, and it was an aspect I wish had the opportunity to be developed further.
  
  Laure was never a character I could personally connect with, and I often found many things she did, especially convincing Madeleine to come with her, but also her relationship with Deskaheh, to be unsympathetic. I kept waiting for Laure to redeem herself in my eyes but unfortunately that never happened and made it difficult for me to connect with the novel emotionally. Ultimately, I found it very refreshing to read a novel based in Canadian history and I think Desrochers did an incredible job of introducing the reader to the time period and although I didn't care for the main character, Laure, I appreciated the unique perspective and insight into what it was like for new settlers that Bride of New France offers.
• 
  Jenna Lemay

  I was pretty disappointed with this book. Most of it takes place in France, not Quebec, the main character I found to be extremely unlikable, the text was repetitive, and for the most part it was depressing and no one gets a happy ending.
  
  I was also pretty off-put by the constant use of the term "savage" and going on and on about how gross and ugly the Indigenous characters were. Yes, it might be historically accurate, but it was offensive to read.
  
  On the audiobook side, the narrator chose to read the entire thing in a somewhat mediocre French accent, instead of just doing the dialogue in an accent, which made it kind of hard to tell when the main character was actually talking out loud and when she was just thinking.
  
  I was hoping this would provide me with some inspiration to research my fille du roi ancestors, but it kind of did the opposite.
• 
  Jo Butler

  In 1656 King Louis XIV declared, “We expressly prohibit and forbid all persons of either sex … able-bodied or invalid, sick or convalescent, curable or incurable, to beg in the city and suburbs of Paris.” To that end, Laure Beausejour is torn from her parents’ arms as a young child and raised in an orphanage.
  
  A decade later, Laure still lives in a Parisian institution. She has become one of the country’s most skilled lace-makers, and hopes to be noticed by a nobleman in need of a wife. However, when a friend succumbs to scurvy, Laure dares to write to the king to complain about the squalid living conditions. She is punished by being sent to the wilds of Quebec. There she is required to wed a fur trapper, and to do her part to populate French Canada.
  
  In her 2012 "Bride of New France", Suzanne Desrochers explores a heartless method used by some European countries to control urban overpopulation. Criminals, orphans, and the destitute were swept up and sent to the colonies. Most of them were shockingly ill-prepared to live in the wilderness, and Laure Beausejour is no exception.
  
  "Bride of New France" also depicts the sharply limited choices of women in the 17th century. Despite her intelligence and striking appearance, Laure must make lace for the king or starve. She is dispatched to Quebec to marry the first stranger who wants her. When she finds love with an Iroquois man, it is forbidden. Yet Laure never surrenders to despair in Desrochers’ grim, yet thoroughly enjoyable tale.
  
  -- Jo Ann Butler
  
  www.rebelpuritan.com/
  
• 
  Penny

  This could have been a terrific book. It is a book of historical fiction set in the 1600s when women were sent from France to help establish a permanent French colony in Canada.
  
  The history of it is fascinating. There were so many things I didn't know about how the French established their presence in the new world and how poor people/criminals in that time were treated in Paris. Where it falls short is the characters, and some improbable plot lines. The main character is selfish and completely self-destructive in her actions and attitude. It's hard to feel empathy for her when most of her situation is brought on herself by bad decision after bad decision. The other characters are somewhat stereotypical and one-dimensional.
  
  The writing itself is good, and the setting makes a good story in itself. I think if the main character had been someone actually trying to make a go of it in that situation and dealing with the hardships inherent in being a city woman trying to carve out a life in the cold wilderness where everything is an unknown, it would have been been a much better story. Instead I found myself wanting to slap some sense into Laure.
  
  I would still recommend this book to history buffs like myself.
• 
  Shonna Froebel

  This novel follows a young girl, Laure, from the Saltpêtrière Hospital in Paris, a orphanage, school and poorhouse, to the early town of Ville-Marie in New France. Laure was taken to the Saltpêtrière when she was very young, grabbed from the arms of her begging parents by the city's archers. She was lucky to be taken in by a sponsor, but now that lady has died and Laure is back in the Saltpêtrière being trained as a seamstress. She is luckier than most, as she can read and write and has skill with a needle, but when she displeasures the Mother Superior, she is sent to be a bride to the men of New France. She is among many others sent for this duty, but she feels very isolated. As she adjusts to life in the new world, she discovers things about herself and what she is willing to do to survive.
  I can't say I really liked Laure, she always seems to think herself superior to the others, whether in Paris due to her sewing and lacemaking skills, or in the new world. But she is definitely a survivor and accepts what she must agree to in order to find a life for herself. She is still young when the book ends, and one hopes she finds herself a life she can enjoy in the future. The history was interesting.
• 
  Dawn

  A bit of a slow burner, I had to stick with this at the beginning. I listened to the audio version and though I liked the narrator's voice, her speech was very slow. Once I got into the cadence of it, the story flowed better. Laure, the main character, is a brave and prideful girl. She's a searcher for her place in life. The story centers around much of her internal life and at times, I felt there was a bit too much of this. This isn't really an action-packed story, despite the fact that Laure is sent to early Quebec to be a new bride and help settle the land with a fur trader husband. The story does unfold slowly, but I grew to like Laure and her many faults. I did want to find out what happened to the poor girl in all her trials and tribulations, most of which was self-induced with poor decision making. The story of the brides of new France is also very intriguing, something I hadn't ever come across. I can see why the author was so interested in this topic for her Phd. Overall, I liked this book, still thinking it over and that's a mark of a good story for me!
• 
  Allison

  I really wanted to love this because I'm definitely on a historical fiction kick, and the filles de roi were something I didn't know anything about.
  
  The story follows Laure, an "orphan" from France who is sent to New France (Canada) in the late 1600s as a part of the King's plan to populate the new colony. It's a fascinating piece of history, and perhaps the story would have been better in the hands of a better writer.
  
  This book wasn't bad, but it was clearly by someone who was new at the craft of novel writing. Laure was poorly characterized and never grew or changed throughout the story and the first two-thirds of the book contained so much extraneous detail that I lost interest at times. Many of the storylines introduced early in the novel have no tie to the overall arc, which was frustrating. The author spent far too little time on Laure's life in Canada and never really ended the story or wrapped up Laure's storyline, which was an unsatisfactory ending.
• 
  Kelly

  A perfect book for a perfect day of reading, curled up in bed with some tea! This is an easy and quick read, but although it is light, it is still engaging. I like the portrayal of the characters, the descriptions of a very impoverished life without feeling sorry for the women, it was a good blend of realism and acceptance of what life was like for many at that time. I also liked the thorough description and time spent in the first part of the book in France, understanding more about the true natures of the characters so that later, in the chapters about the voyage to Canada and the time there, their actions made sense. The story was well paced and while descriptive, not overly so.
• 
  Sara Russell

  I appreciate a counter-narrative to the shiny Canadian historiographies of the “filles du roi.” And, while this partially delivered a new and honest perspective on the colonial conditions of so-called New France, the anti-Indigenous narrative was well beyond historical reporting and was inappropriately indulgent...and any possible explanation was somehow not even worth a mention in the historical notes at the end? Lame. Gross. No thanks.
• 
  Leslie

  This book found it's way to me via a cousin who has done an enormous amount of research into our French Canadian roots. We are descendents of the 'filles du roi'. Ms Desrochers novel has allowed me to 'see' what my great-grandmother (x7) might have experienced/felt/thought - so much better than just a name on a chart. Good novels transport us, and, this one did that.
• 
  Shannon

  Not bad but not perfect. At times I felt the writing itself was pretty bad but was bolstered by the inherent interestingness of the story. I really wish more books were set in this time and place. It really is fascinating.
• 
  Janice Salmon

  As a descendent of French settlers this book had such potential...but it just did not live up to it for me.
• 
  Anita

  This was a great book. No happy endings, a lot of grief and courage throughout, probably much like real life was back then. Worth the read.
• 
  Evelyn

  This book piqued my interest because the whole filles du roi history was unknown to me. I am very interested in stories about the settlement of Canada.
  So to that end, I am glad I picked up this book. As the novel started out as the author's thesis, it is very well researched, and filled with interesting details.
  The midwife was the only character that felt real to me. Both her actions and her dialogue were believable. None of the other characters seemed fully formed, they felt more like caricatures.
  Once in Canada, Laure seems to lose every inch of backbone that she had in France, becoming a shell of her former self. Had she maintained that backbone, her story in Canada would have been much more interesting.
• 
  Buttercup_Lidia

  Tenía la necesidad de leermelo entero, pero es un libro bastante deprimente, donde la heroína no pasa mas que fatigas, y todo es feo, y triste a su alrededor. Me ha dejado una sensación amarga, esperaba algo mas ligero. Tampoco me ha apasionado la forma en que está escrito, la verdad. Un poco decepción.
• 
  Janis Harper

  An immersive experience of early French settlement in Canada and the young women who ended up here, not so happily, and the hardships endured. While I enjoyed this book for its history and its characters, I felt the wonderfully strong protagonist was drawn a little flat at the start--her selfishness didn't feel authentic; and the ending left me unsatisfied. But a very worthwhile read, all in all!