As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada's Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family--French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral--are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America's borderlands.
As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William's, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the present and forge an enduring future.
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The Seamstress of Acadie is the story of Sylvie Gallant, a young seamstress, living in Acadie (currently Nova Scotia) at the onset of the French and Indian War. Sylvie and her family live within view of the ocean and enjoy tending their beautiful farm and generations old apple orchard. Within months all that they have worked for is taken by force and Sylvie finds herself with the challenge of forging a new life for herself in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
This book helped me grow in knowing more about this heartbreaking time in history. The Seamstress of Acadie is a beautifully and thoughtfully written novel. I found the characters and setting to be well crafted and described. The conversations sprinkled with French gave the story an authentic feel. I also appreciated the quotes that headed each chapter. I found them to be engaging and charming especially as many of them are pulled from the time of the story.
This was the first novel I have read by Laura Frantz, but will not be the last. The author’s note at the end of the book was very insightful. It was a pleasure to learn what inspired her to write about the Acadian history.
*I received a complimentary copy of The Seamstress of Acadie from Revell Reads in exchange for my honest review.*
