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The Hiding Place
It is 1650 in New France. The tragic fire that destroyed their home has left twelve-year-old Justine and her younger brother, Denis, orphaned and at the mercy of their neighbour, the brutal Monsieur Gaudin. He wants Justine for his wife and she will do anything to escape that fate; Denis will do anything to stay with Justine. They decide they must flee to a place Monsieur Gaudin will never find them. But how will they survive in the treacherous Quebec wilderness?
- GenresHistorical
148 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 10, 2025
This is the exact sort of book I'd have loved to read as my teen self. Outdoor adventure. Learn some facts about history. Interesting characters.
1600s, New France. Young Justine is thrown into having to care for her younger brother after their parents perish in a house fire. Justine's new caregiver is a creep of a man, and thus the siblings head for the woods, hoping to get to the new village of Quebec.
A great book for middle years classrooms.
1600s, New France. Young Justine is thrown into having to care for her younger brother after their parents perish in a house fire. Justine's new caregiver is a creep of a man, and thus the siblings head for the woods, hoping to get to the new village of Quebec.
A great book for middle years classrooms.
February 27, 2019
I loved the relationship between Justine & her brother Denis. Books about the love between siblings just melts my heart. I also enjoyed the dependency on “Star Boy” for many things for survival. I would have liked the author to dive a bit deeper into the lives of the Iroquois.
October 17, 2016
Read Aloud
7 yrs +
Independent Reader
9 yrs +
Worldview: Universally Acceptable
Setting:
Location - New France, Quebec, St. Lawrence River
Time Period - 1650
Review:
After fleeing from a dangerous guardian and potential arranged marriage, Justine and her younger brother hide in the wilderness from both the settlers who will return her to her guardian and bands of Iroquois on the war path. They stumble upon a native boy who is near death and nurse him back to health. Together the three children survive the summer hiding along the St. Lawrence River.
The book is quite simplistic in its telling. It moves along at a very quick pace jumping from one event to another. The story could have been expanded upon, but for the intended audience this might serve to keep the reader interested. It does have several holes and weak places in the story line. For example the children discover a hidden cave with a fresh water pond. They describe it as being just like a house and the water is good to drink, sunlight comes in through cracks, so it’s not dark, yet rather than living there they return to the cave that had been discovered by settlers hunting for them. Also they forget that they could get water from that source and continue to expose themselves by going to the river until the littlest boy thinks of it later. Star boy has an amazing wealth of knowledge for a small boy, to the point that sometimes I questioned whether it was reasonable.
There are references to the martyrs at St. Marie, the voyageurs and fur trade as well as several first nations people groups. There is continued discussion about the fact that the Algonquin and the French are pitted together against the Iroquois and English in an attempt to have a monopoly on the fur trade. This is carried out through raids upon villages of the opposite tribe.
In this case the Iroquois are painted as the enemy, but the ending forces the characters to rethink whether the Iroquois are all bad and the Algonquin all good. The theme of white man bringing war to peaceful natives is quite prevalent, although tempered here and there with a comment about the fact that there were wars long before white man arrived.
Teacher Application:
It is difficult to find Canadian books which paint the Iroquois people in a balanced light. Due to our history they are typically considered the enemy. The habitants’ allies were the Algonquin, Huron and Montagnais, who were traditional enemies of the Iroquois. These tensions escalated and were even encouraged as the English were trading partners with the Iroquois in the fur trade, while the French traded with their allies. Both groups wanted a monopoly on the fur trade and hunting lands. Raids were approved of and even encouraged. This is true of both the French and English. Children need to understand that while from a Canadian perspective the Iroquois were often the attacker, their lifestyle was very similar to all the Great Lakes region First Peoples, and they were being attacked and raided too.
The fur trade is discussed in this book, as well as some of the dangers of the job.
Orphans were very common at this time in history. To be a young female orphan was a dangerous thing in a country with a great population imbalance. Young and arranged marriages were common, and it is not unbelievable that a 12-year-old girl, like Justine, with no male protector would be strongly encouraged to marry.
Parental Warning:
There is an attack on a Montagnais Camp. People are killed and Star Boy is tortured and left to die. (This is non-graphic and age appropriate)
7 yrs +
Independent Reader
9 yrs +
Worldview: Universally Acceptable
Setting:
Location - New France, Quebec, St. Lawrence River
Time Period - 1650
Review:
After fleeing from a dangerous guardian and potential arranged marriage, Justine and her younger brother hide in the wilderness from both the settlers who will return her to her guardian and bands of Iroquois on the war path. They stumble upon a native boy who is near death and nurse him back to health. Together the three children survive the summer hiding along the St. Lawrence River.
The book is quite simplistic in its telling. It moves along at a very quick pace jumping from one event to another. The story could have been expanded upon, but for the intended audience this might serve to keep the reader interested. It does have several holes and weak places in the story line. For example the children discover a hidden cave with a fresh water pond. They describe it as being just like a house and the water is good to drink, sunlight comes in through cracks, so it’s not dark, yet rather than living there they return to the cave that had been discovered by settlers hunting for them. Also they forget that they could get water from that source and continue to expose themselves by going to the river until the littlest boy thinks of it later. Star boy has an amazing wealth of knowledge for a small boy, to the point that sometimes I questioned whether it was reasonable.
There are references to the martyrs at St. Marie, the voyageurs and fur trade as well as several first nations people groups. There is continued discussion about the fact that the Algonquin and the French are pitted together against the Iroquois and English in an attempt to have a monopoly on the fur trade. This is carried out through raids upon villages of the opposite tribe.
In this case the Iroquois are painted as the enemy, but the ending forces the characters to rethink whether the Iroquois are all bad and the Algonquin all good. The theme of white man bringing war to peaceful natives is quite prevalent, although tempered here and there with a comment about the fact that there were wars long before white man arrived.
Teacher Application:
It is difficult to find Canadian books which paint the Iroquois people in a balanced light. Due to our history they are typically considered the enemy. The habitants’ allies were the Algonquin, Huron and Montagnais, who were traditional enemies of the Iroquois. These tensions escalated and were even encouraged as the English were trading partners with the Iroquois in the fur trade, while the French traded with their allies. Both groups wanted a monopoly on the fur trade and hunting lands. Raids were approved of and even encouraged. This is true of both the French and English. Children need to understand that while from a Canadian perspective the Iroquois were often the attacker, their lifestyle was very similar to all the Great Lakes region First Peoples, and they were being attacked and raided too.
The fur trade is discussed in this book, as well as some of the dangers of the job.
Orphans were very common at this time in history. To be a young female orphan was a dangerous thing in a country with a great population imbalance. Young and arranged marriages were common, and it is not unbelievable that a 12-year-old girl, like Justine, with no male protector would be strongly encouraged to marry.
Parental Warning:
There is an attack on a Montagnais Camp. People are killed and Star Boy is tortured and left to die. (This is non-graphic and age appropriate)
Read
October 30, 2010I don't mind it. A 7 - 10 i would say.
October 6, 2013
It wasn't the best really
Want to read
November 17, 2015it needs more info on the book
Read
October 7, 2013good
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews