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Discarded
When the British arrived in Winnipeg in the 1800s it was convenient for the men to take Metis wives. They were called a la vacon du pays – according to the custom of the country. These women bore the brunt of ensuring survival in the harsh environment. Without them the British army and fur traders would not have survived the brutal winters.
However, as society evolved it became accepted that wives must be white, schooled in British ways, fashionable in the European sense and married by the Anglican church. The Metis wives and their ‘country born’ offspring were thrown out and forced to fend for themselves. The unrepentant husbands continued to live comfortably with their ‘new’ wives.
It was inevitable that some discarded wives did not accept their fate quietly and hard feelings on both sides were unavoidable. When the bodies of two discarded Metis wives, Marguerite and Marie-Anne, are found floating in the Red River, Guilliame Mousseau, sets out to get to the bottom of his sister Margueite’s murder.
However, as society evolved it became accepted that wives must be white, schooled in British ways, fashionable in the European sense and married by the Anglican church. The Metis wives and their ‘country born’ offspring were thrown out and forced to fend for themselves. The unrepentant husbands continued to live comfortably with their ‘new’ wives.
It was inevitable that some discarded wives did not accept their fate quietly and hard feelings on both sides were unavoidable. When the bodies of two discarded Metis wives, Marguerite and Marie-Anne, are found floating in the Red River, Guilliame Mousseau, sets out to get to the bottom of his sister Margueite’s murder.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2023
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 2, 2023
Not everyone is always equal under the eyes of the law.
Racism has many faces. Some of the best scenes in my opinion were the ones that showed how deeply ingrained racism was into every facet of society in the 1800s. Even characters who were otherwise fairly sympathetic were negatively influenced by it at times. I found it refreshing that this wasn’t something coded as a problem only for the antagonists. People are complex, after all, and few of us are ever completely virtuous or evil.
This book had a large cast of characters, most of whom I would struggle to describe if someone asked me what their personalities were like. It would have been helpful to have more character development as this was something that was a barrier to me connecting with the storyline and wanting to keep reading. Had this been given space to develop, I would have happily gone with a higher rating as I was quite intrigued by the murder mystery itself.
I enjoyed the historical aspects of the plot. They worked equally well for readers who know about this chapter of Canadian history and those who know nothing about a la vacon du pays and how they were mistreated by their British husbands and the government at all. That can be a tricky balance to maintain, so it was nice to see Ms. Bell make it look so effortless. I will be curious to see where she goes with these characters next if she writes the sequel that was hinted at in the final scene.
Discarded – A Canadian Historical Mystery made me curious to read more from this author.
Racism has many faces. Some of the best scenes in my opinion were the ones that showed how deeply ingrained racism was into every facet of society in the 1800s. Even characters who were otherwise fairly sympathetic were negatively influenced by it at times. I found it refreshing that this wasn’t something coded as a problem only for the antagonists. People are complex, after all, and few of us are ever completely virtuous or evil.
This book had a large cast of characters, most of whom I would struggle to describe if someone asked me what their personalities were like. It would have been helpful to have more character development as this was something that was a barrier to me connecting with the storyline and wanting to keep reading. Had this been given space to develop, I would have happily gone with a higher rating as I was quite intrigued by the murder mystery itself.
I enjoyed the historical aspects of the plot. They worked equally well for readers who know about this chapter of Canadian history and those who know nothing about a la vacon du pays and how they were mistreated by their British husbands and the government at all. That can be a tricky balance to maintain, so it was nice to see Ms. Bell make it look so effortless. I will be curious to see where she goes with these characters next if she writes the sequel that was hinted at in the final scene.
Discarded – A Canadian Historical Mystery made me curious to read more from this author.
December 7, 2024
This is an amazing story. If you've never read what happened to the indigenous brides once their British husbands were done with them, you're going to be shocked and amazed. Nancy Bell has done a fantastic job of telling a fascinating story while also sharing historical facts from an era in Manitoba that many have never heard about.
September 15, 2023
Discarded is a Canadian Historical Mysteries written by author Nancy M. Bell. Discarded is the first book by Nancy that I have read. I sorely enjoyed reading Discarded and certainly hope that it is not the last as I do plan on checking out more of her work.
Discarded started off with a blast and never let up for me. I was hooked the moment I read that first page. Two women, Marguerite and Marie-Anne were found dead, floating in the Red River and no one seemed to care. But one man their brother, Guilliame Mousseau did a lot and did everything he could to find out who murdered them.
The two women went out one night looking for medicine for Marguerite’s son who was sick at home. On their way back home the two women were attacked. They were unrecognizable to many but of course, Guilliame knew his sister.
Discarded kept me hanging on the edge as I raced to the end wondering what had happened to these two women and why someone would want to harm them in such a way. But of course, I did have my suspicions as to who was behind it.
Discarded was a well-written story. The descriptions were so well written making it so easy for me to picture it all in my head as if I was right there. I could see the waves as flowing when the two women were discovered floating in the river. I also had no problem seeing the way the men and women dressed. I had no problem picturing the bar and the town.
I enjoyed reading Discarded tremendously and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good mystery. Grab a copy of Discarded today and help to solve a mystery!
Discarded started off with a blast and never let up for me. I was hooked the moment I read that first page. Two women, Marguerite and Marie-Anne were found dead, floating in the Red River and no one seemed to care. But one man their brother, Guilliame Mousseau did a lot and did everything he could to find out who murdered them.
The two women went out one night looking for medicine for Marguerite’s son who was sick at home. On their way back home the two women were attacked. They were unrecognizable to many but of course, Guilliame knew his sister.
Discarded kept me hanging on the edge as I raced to the end wondering what had happened to these two women and why someone would want to harm them in such a way. But of course, I did have my suspicions as to who was behind it.
Discarded was a well-written story. The descriptions were so well written making it so easy for me to picture it all in my head as if I was right there. I could see the waves as flowing when the two women were discovered floating in the river. I also had no problem seeing the way the men and women dressed. I had no problem picturing the bar and the town.
I enjoyed reading Discarded tremendously and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good mystery. Grab a copy of Discarded today and help to solve a mystery!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews