I wrote this ahead of time so i may not respond to your comments but please comment. Bride of new france by suzanne desrochers penguin canada 294 pp. Bride of new france is a debut novel by canadian suzanne desrochers. In order to strengthen france s hold on the quebec colony, louis xiv sent 770 women across the atlantic at royal expense in order to. 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. Mar 04, 2011 suzanne desrocherss bride of new france is a fictionalized account of the life of one such fille du roi.
Upon arrival and marriage of the first settlers to these women what resulted was a population explosion that contributed to the success of the colony. Brought over from france around the mid1600s through a program instituted by louis xiv, the filles du roi roy came to new france to marry the men who far outnumbered the women and populate the colony. In 1659 france is acting on the kings decree to clean the streets. Now based in toronto, she is currently writing a ph. The program was designed to boost new france s population both by encouraging male colonizers to settle there, and by promoting marriage. In the late 1600 the king of france paid for young women to move to new france to help populate the settlements. Telegraphjournal saint john, new brunswick laure beausejour has grown up in a dormitory in paris surrounded by prostitutes, the insane, and other forgotten women. But in 1669, laure is sent across the atlantic to new france with madeleine as filles du roi. Bride of new france is the best piece of historical fiction ive read in a long time. Awardwinning new orleans bride magazine features inspiration, planning, advice, trends and ideas from the top wedding pros in new. Suzanne desrocherss bride of new france is a fictionalized account of the life of one such fille du roi. In an authors note, she explains that these girls and their marriages have been romanticized and glorified over the centuries, and few canadians understand what.
Sep 15, 20 bride of new france by suzanne desrochers. About suzanne desrochers suzanne desrochers grew up in the frenchcanadian village of lafontaine on the shores of georgian bay in ontario. I read this book on recommendation of my sister a retired librarian. From the moment she arrives in villemarie montreal she is expected to marry and produce children with a brutish french soldier who himself can barely survive the harsh conditions of his forest cabin. Bride of new france by suzanne desrochers librarything. Never has such familiar lint been picked to greater effect than in bride of new france, by susan desrochers, a trained historian who has boldly. Oct 03, 2011 fans of the midwife of venice this is a much better book canadian history fans are there any out there. Transporting readers from cosmopolitan seventeenthcentury paris to the canadian frontier, this vibrant debut tells of the struggle to survive in a brutal time and place. Most people of frenchcanadian descent can trace their roots back to at least one of these women. The late seventeenth century was a crucial era in establishing territorial claims on the north american continent. Telegraphjournal saint john, new brunswick laure beausejour has grown. A story of new france kindle edition by illing, thora. Bride of new france is the story of a fille du roi, one of the famous kings daughters, women sent by louis xiv to shore up the struggling colony.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Laurie beausejour, all but a little girl and orphaned on the streets of paris, personifies the dilemma of the poor and downtrodden in 1660s france. Editions of bride of new france by suzanne desrochers. Suzanne desrochers grew up in the frenchcanadian village of lafontaine on the shores of georgian bay, ontario. Laure and madeleine know little of the place called new france, except for stories of ferocious winters and men who eat the hearts of french priests. Bride of new france east central regional library catalog.
Books similar to bride of new france bride of new france. Bride of new france tells the story of the filles du roi the kings daughters. To be banished to canada is a punishment worse than death. Laure beausejour has grown up in a dormitory in paris surrounded by prostitutes, the insane, and other forgotten women.
Bride of new france by suzanne desrochers, the midwife of. About bride of new france bride of new france is the best piece of historical fiction ive read in a long time. The novel is based on desrocherss thesis, which combined history and creative writing. Bride of new france new hampshire state library overdrive. Bride of new france by suzanne desrochers and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In order to strengthen france s hold on the quebec colony, louis xiv sent 770 women across the atlantic at royal expense in order to populate new france. Never has such familiar lint been picked to greater effect than in bride of new france, by susan desrochers, a trained historian who has boldly appropriated fiction to expand a vision of life. Runyan masterfully blends fact and fiction to explore the founding of new france through the experiences of thr more. That and the paris new france connection of the 17th century, something ive read little about. Jan 22, 2011 bride of new france is the story of a fille du roi, one of the famous kings daughters, women sent by louis xiv to shore up the struggling colony in the 17th century. Suzanne desrochers bride of new france takes an unvarnished look at the lives. A richly imagined novel is about a young french woman sent to settle in the new world. A novel by suzanne desrochers available from rakuten kobo.
Bride of new france salt lake county library services. She dreams with her best friend, madeleine, of using her needlework skills to become a seamstress and one day marry a nobleman. Bride of new france, suzanne durochers debut historical novel introduces us to the famous filles du roi, sent over to populate the french settlements along the stlawrence river of canada in the late 1600s. The both of us are very much into genealogic studies and have many relatives who came to new france canada from france in the 1600s and 1700s to populate the country for the king of france so he could show the rest of the world how vested he was in this new land.
From the moment she arrives in villemarie montreal she is expected to marry and produce children with a brutish french soldier who himself can barely. Im pretty sure the gorgeous cover drew me to this novel. Laure has spent a few years working as a servant in a rich womans house, but after the woman died laure moved into the dormitory where she and the other women there do embroidery. Bride of new france is a haunting story of a courageous young woman, shipped over from france to the wilderness of canada in the 17th century. Powerful and haunting, bride of new franceis a remarkable tale of a french girl and her struggle to survive in a brutal time and place. It arrived with a must read recommendation that it definitely lived up to.
Bride of new france explores the challenges of coming into womanhood in a brutal time and place. Powerful and haunting, bride of new france is a remarkable tale of a french girl and her struggle to survive in a brutal time and place. Bride of new france explores the challenges laure faces coming into womanhood in a brutal time and place. But if they do want to bring the past alive for a new generation, as they typically claim, they could never find a text more likely to engage the minds and imaginations of young people, especially girls, who have grown immune to the conventional narratives. But a really tedious telling of the story combined with a narration in a monotone almost completely devoid of feeling created a boring experience. Some say that between 7961 women went to new france. Bride of new france by suzanne desrochers goodreads. In the 17th century, hundreds of girls and women were sent from france often against their will to populate the new world.
There are historical novels where the history is just a backdrop to the story, and there are historical novels where the primary purpose is to teach you the history. Bride of new france, by suzanne desrochers the globe and mail. A canadian bestseller, this richly imagined novel is about a young french woman sent to settle in the new world. Aug 06, 2012 bride of new france by suzanne desrochers. In 1669, laure beausejour, an orphan imprisoned with prostitutes, the insane and other forgotten women in paris infamous salpetriere, is sent across the atlantic to new france as a. Yves landry in his book les filles du roi du xviiieme siecles estimates the number to be 770. Bride of new france upper hudson library system overdrive. From the moment she arrives in villemarie montreal, laure is expected to marry and produce.
Bride of new france by suzanne desrochers is about the filles du roi or kings daughters. I stuck with it thinking that improvement must surely come and because i was truly interested in the settlement of canada. Bride of new france, book by suzanne desrochers paperback. Bride of new france toronto public library overdrive. 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.
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