Evangeline

by Richard F. Mullins

The Acadian Tragedy is arguably Canada's greatest piece of history. In 1755, Charles Lawrence, the acting British governor of Nova Scotia, ordered the arrest and deportation of over 7,000 French residents of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The deportation was a secretive, poorly planned and, in the end, botched and hastily executed affair. As a result, many French family members and lifelong friends were separated as they were indiscriminately shipped to the various American colonies all along the Atlantic Seaboard. For Charles Lawrence and the British, it was a triumph. For the French residents, it was a ruthless act of ethnic cleansing. For historians, the cruel expulsion ranks alongside the Chinese Opium War as one of the most unscrupulous events in British imperial history. Today, 260 years later, the grievous wound still festers among the three million descendants of those French exiles. The story isn't over. It goes on and on and on. Here, for the first time, is the complete story, a compelling fusion of the real history and the legendary love story. This is an unforgettable tale of intrigue, survival and the enduring power of first love.

316 pages, Paperback

First published December 23, 2010

Reviews

[Rainy M.K.U.]

While it was interesting to hear a legend of my childhood elaborated upon in such a way, "Evangeline" often felt hollow and trite. The author was too quick to spoon-feed excessive elaboration upon metaphors and explain how the characters feel in a mechanical fashion that a thoughtful reader could have figured out without such deliberate spoon-feeding. Evangeline herself was not the most compelling protagonist; her pollyanna hopefulness and cloying piety are not the types of traits that modern readers tend to admire. However, the book gained steam as it went on, culminating in a very satisfying conclusion. Also, the detailed research into the real history of the situation was a highlight, painting more vivid pictures of people who truly did, or who were at least somewhat documented to, exist amongst a collection of fictional ones. The use of French and Mikmaq languages verbatim in the text was also very immersive and interesting.

[Ben]

Such a moving historic fiction novel, heavy emphasis on getting the historic facts correct as well-researched by the author. This novel certainly enlightened me to a piece of Canadian history I was unaware of as well as explaining the plight of the Acadians. I recommend this for an interesting read to all.