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Promises to Keep
An enchanting and poignant story about the unfailing power of love in a world turned upside down by war—from the bestselling author of Tides of Honour .Summer 1755, AcadiaYoung, beautiful Amélie Belliveau lives with her family among the Acadians of Grande Pré, Nova Scotia, content with her life on their idyllic farm. Along with their friends, the neighbouring Mi’kmaq, the community believes they can remain on neutral political ground despite the rising tides of war. But peace can be fragile, and sometimes faith is not enough. When the Acadians refuse to pledge allegiance to the British in their war against the French, the army invades Grande Pré, claims the land, and rips the people from their homes. Amélie’s entire family, alongside the other Acadians, is exiled to ports unknown aboard dilapidated ships.Fortunately, Amélie has made a powerful ally. Having survived his own harrowing experience at the hands of the English, Corporal Connor MacDonnell is a reluctant participant in the British plan to expel the Acadians from their homeland. His sympathy for Amélie gradually evolves into a profound love, and he resolves to help her and her family in any way he can—even if it means treason. As the last warmth of summer fades, more ships arrive to ferry the Acadians away, and Connor is forced to make a decision that will alter the future forever.Heart-wrenching and captivating, Promises to Keep is a gloriously romantic tale of a young couple forced to risk everything amidst the uncertainties of war.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2017
24 people are currently reading
1448 people want to read
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April 16, 2018
A wonderful fictional story based on Canadian history!
"Promises To Keep", by Genevieve Graham, is the story of the Acadian expulsion of 1755. The book focuses on one family and all that befalls them during this time. Full of sadness, heartbreak and moments of joy, forbidden love makes this novel a page turner.
The author states "My goal, my passion, is to breathe life back into Canadian history."
With "Promises To Keep" I feel she has done just that.
I look forward to reading more by this author.
"Promises To Keep", by Genevieve Graham, is the story of the Acadian expulsion of 1755. The book focuses on one family and all that befalls them during this time. Full of sadness, heartbreak and moments of joy, forbidden love makes this novel a page turner.
The author states "My goal, my passion, is to breathe life back into Canadian history."
With "Promises To Keep" I feel she has done just that.
I look forward to reading more by this author.
May 29, 2018
Oops... I did it again! I bought the new Genevieve Graham and in less than 24 hours, I had read the full book! Now I have to achingly wait for the next one. "Promises to Keep " comes at the best time, Canada is celebrating 150 years of federation and recently some controversy has arisen in answer to a local television series that claims that it is telling the nation's history, but in reality many people have been left out of telling. One such group of people are the Acadien people on Canada 's east coast in what today is known as the province of Nova Scotia. In 1775, the British military forces decided that these quiet Acadien farmers were plotting with the local Mi'kmaq to rise up against the British and chose to "deport" or " expel" them permanently from the colony. More information in history that we know now is that the British actually coveted the rich soil for their own settlers.
Genevieve Graham focuses on one Acadien family living in Grand Pre- Belliveau and their headstrong daughter, Amelie. Amelie captures the attention of Scotsman, Conner MacDonnell, a sergeant in the British army. Although his feelings are growing for the young Acadien and her family, Connor knows what is coming, but swears to help the Belliveau family any way he can. But the world is about to descend into war and even Connor might not be able to keep his promises.
I absolutely loved this book and have no doubt that it will capture the hearts of other readers too. Rich characterization and historical information weaved into the tale will transport you back to the 18th century. Oh and if you're familiar with a certain tale from Longfellow, be prepared to meet up with Evangeline and Gabriel.
I was especially pleased that GG also brought readers to what would become the colony of New Brunswick. Oh how pleased was I when Charles Deschamps de Boishebert walked onto the pages and told of the Acadien people living on the Miramichi river( my hometown). FYI, Beaubear 's Island is now a summer tourism destination.
Utterly fantastic. Now, Genevieve Graham, where will you take us next?
Genevieve Graham focuses on one Acadien family living in Grand Pre- Belliveau and their headstrong daughter, Amelie. Amelie captures the attention of Scotsman, Conner MacDonnell, a sergeant in the British army. Although his feelings are growing for the young Acadien and her family, Connor knows what is coming, but swears to help the Belliveau family any way he can. But the world is about to descend into war and even Connor might not be able to keep his promises.
I absolutely loved this book and have no doubt that it will capture the hearts of other readers too. Rich characterization and historical information weaved into the tale will transport you back to the 18th century. Oh and if you're familiar with a certain tale from Longfellow, be prepared to meet up with Evangeline and Gabriel.
I was especially pleased that GG also brought readers to what would become the colony of New Brunswick. Oh how pleased was I when Charles Deschamps de Boishebert walked onto the pages and told of the Acadien people living on the Miramichi river( my hometown). FYI, Beaubear 's Island is now a summer tourism destination.
Utterly fantastic. Now, Genevieve Graham, where will you take us next?
January 17, 2018
Set against the tumultuous time of 1755 in Acadia, this sweeping family saga and love story tells of the waning days of the French controlling Canada, the British battle to take it, and the poor Acadian farm families caught in the middle. Graham's authentic, heartwrenching, yet hopeful tale focuses in on one Acadian family, the Belliveaus, and a war-weary Scot caught between love, honor, and duty.
Amelie Belliveau watches in horror as the British take everything from her and her family and shatter the loving family who are forced in many directions to survive even while she is conflicted about the feelings she has for one of the soldiers who understands all too well, having been a Scot who survived the English rushing over his Scottish lands and family. Connor MacDonnell swears a promise to her that she holds onto through so much heartbreak and misery. Connor will sacrifice anything to keep that promise and does.
This book had me crying so often that I'm glad I listened to it in the privacy of my own home. Lands, the tears I shed. This was such a heartwrenching story. I've read about the Acadians who were forced off their land onto ships that took them away with little more than the clothes on their backs only to find they were unwanted where they were dumped off elsewhere. I knew it would not be an easy or light story and it wasn't. I was deeply impressed with the author's attention to historic and cultural details and the depth of each character. This is a saga so there are so many characters with Amelie and Connor the central figures. All sides were represented in the cast of characters and I loved seeing it all.
The story is mostly told from Amelie's perspective. She starts off naive yet impetuous and headstrong. Then as events unfold she is forced to mature and grow strong in this trial by fire she endures. Connor, too, is an exceptional man. The pair needed a break and I was really rooting for them. It seemed each time they were going to get their chance, it was not to be and noble sacrifice was called up. Now, I might have cried my eyes out, but I also felt so much more. This was heartwarming and romantic in an understated way. Connor gave so much out of love and Amelie did as well. Others were getting their stories in the background and I was engaged with that, too.
As to the narrator, Alexis Quednau, was a first encounter for me. She had the job of French Acadian accents, British, New Englander, Native American, and oh so many characters with all that glot of emotion, too. I thought she told this one so well. She took the right tone and hit a good balance between inflection of emotion and the distance a good narrator needs so the listener isn't distracted.
So, this was a powerful story that has stayed with me afterward. I've read the author before and know this is not a fluke. Incidentally, it occurred to me after I read that the cousins Connor mentioned must be the MacDonnell family that feature in the author's earlier series I read. She has a way of making history come alive and makes one feel attached to her characters who go through so much.
My thanks to the author for the opportunity to listen to this story in exchange for an honest review.
Amelie Belliveau watches in horror as the British take everything from her and her family and shatter the loving family who are forced in many directions to survive even while she is conflicted about the feelings she has for one of the soldiers who understands all too well, having been a Scot who survived the English rushing over his Scottish lands and family. Connor MacDonnell swears a promise to her that she holds onto through so much heartbreak and misery. Connor will sacrifice anything to keep that promise and does.
This book had me crying so often that I'm glad I listened to it in the privacy of my own home. Lands, the tears I shed. This was such a heartwrenching story. I've read about the Acadians who were forced off their land onto ships that took them away with little more than the clothes on their backs only to find they were unwanted where they were dumped off elsewhere. I knew it would not be an easy or light story and it wasn't. I was deeply impressed with the author's attention to historic and cultural details and the depth of each character. This is a saga so there are so many characters with Amelie and Connor the central figures. All sides were represented in the cast of characters and I loved seeing it all.
The story is mostly told from Amelie's perspective. She starts off naive yet impetuous and headstrong. Then as events unfold she is forced to mature and grow strong in this trial by fire she endures. Connor, too, is an exceptional man. The pair needed a break and I was really rooting for them. It seemed each time they were going to get their chance, it was not to be and noble sacrifice was called up. Now, I might have cried my eyes out, but I also felt so much more. This was heartwarming and romantic in an understated way. Connor gave so much out of love and Amelie did as well. Others were getting their stories in the background and I was engaged with that, too.
As to the narrator, Alexis Quednau, was a first encounter for me. She had the job of French Acadian accents, British, New Englander, Native American, and oh so many characters with all that glot of emotion, too. I thought she told this one so well. She took the right tone and hit a good balance between inflection of emotion and the distance a good narrator needs so the listener isn't distracted.
So, this was a powerful story that has stayed with me afterward. I've read the author before and know this is not a fluke. Incidentally, it occurred to me after I read that the cousins Connor mentioned must be the MacDonnell family that feature in the author's earlier series I read. She has a way of making history come alive and makes one feel attached to her characters who go through so much.
My thanks to the author for the opportunity to listen to this story in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2019
I loved this. The only thing I regret is waiting so long to start reading Genevieve Graham's books so far they have been delightful.
October 19, 2019
I love all of the stories that I have ever read by Genevieve Graham. When I was given the opportunity to listen to and review the Promises To Keep audiobook , I was ecstatic. I almost always find that listening to a book adds to my enjoyment of the story. I couldn’t wait to get started.
In the 1750’s, Amélie Belliveau’s family and her Acadian community live closely with the Mi’kmaq people in a quiet, peaceful area in Nova Scotia. The British and the French are at war, and the Acadians do not want to take sides. It isn’t long before the British come calling, asking for the Acadians to pledge their allegience. When they refuse, the British confiscate their weapons, their homes, and eventually their lands. The Acadian families are separated and put aboard ships, to be sent away from the lands that they love. Little do the British realize that one of their officers – Corporal Connor MacDonnell – is not exactly sympathetic to the British cause. He doesn’t feel the Acadians are being treated fairly. Plus, he is falling for the young and lovely Amélie Belliveau.
Amélie is gentle, sweet, and kind. But she is also fiesty and independent. Her father has taught her well: to stand up for herself and what is right. When the Acadians are treated unfairly, Amélie uses what she has learned from her father to make a plan to outsmart the British. With the help of Connor, the Acadians have a chance at making it. But the British won’t let them get away easily – and any help that Connor gives makes him a traitor to the British military.
I thought, based on this cover (which is amazing), that this would be a straight-up historical fiction that leans heavily on the romance. And while there is a light romance that brews between Connor and Amélie, it did not overshadow the larger part of the story, which featured the conflict between the British and the Acadians. I enjoyed the sweet romance, but I think I appreciated reading about this conflict even more because I learned so much about this event in Canadian history. I spent time looking up the background behind this story and the area and was fascinated with what I was reading. In particular, I loved the space that the Mi’kmaq occupied on the pages/on the audiobook, and I was pleased to see the amicable relationship that their group had with the Acadians. At the end of the story, I found that I still craved more from the Mi’kmaq, but I was happy for the page time that and the scenes that they had.
This story had great characterization and a lush, vibrant setting that was easy for me to visualize as I was listening to this audiobook. I feel like I know these characters pretty well after this story – especially Amélie and her father, Charles. My favorite thing about the book, probably, is the setting. Since I’m not very familiar with this area of Canada (in real life), I very much enjoyed listening to the descriptions of the Acadians’ land and the nearby waters. I also loved referring to the map in my print copy of the book and looking at the real-life Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia online so I could check out the area for myself.
I spent a lot of time on this story, absorbing it all. I fell in love with these characters and truly felt like I lived this experience along with them. I am excited to say that my print copy of Promises To Keep is now on my rereads shelf and that I wouldn’t hesitate to pull it down for rereads. The same applies to the audiobook-I would relisten to the audio in a heartbeat.
Audiobook Notes: The Promises To Keep audiobook is made great by its narrator: Alexis Quednau. The narrator is French Canadian; being able to listen to her read the book authentically was delightful because I love when accents are true. I love the way Ms. Quednau pronounced the names of the characters and places in the setting just as the locals would have. She also pronounced the Mi’kmaq words and names correctly, which was wonderful. I am from Eastern North Carolina and do not speak French nor with an accent like this narrator’s, so hearing the words spoken accurately added so much enjoyment to my reading experience.
Each time I settled in to listen, I found that after only a few minutes, I fell easily into the story and imagined that it was main character Amélie speaking directly to me. That is what I want when I’m listening to a book: connection directly with the characters. I especially felt that connection in several scenes where emotions were heightened, whether the scene was a little on the sad side or when the action was more intense. There were also times when Amélie was alone with her thoughts, and I felt particularly connected with her through the narration.
Title: Promises To Keep by Genevieve Graham
Published by: Audible Studios
Publish Date: 9-19-17
Length: 8 hours, 16 minutes, Unabridged
Narrator: Alexis Quednau
I received this audiobook for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I purchased my own paperback print copy.
Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!
In the 1750’s, Amélie Belliveau’s family and her Acadian community live closely with the Mi’kmaq people in a quiet, peaceful area in Nova Scotia. The British and the French are at war, and the Acadians do not want to take sides. It isn’t long before the British come calling, asking for the Acadians to pledge their allegience. When they refuse, the British confiscate their weapons, their homes, and eventually their lands. The Acadian families are separated and put aboard ships, to be sent away from the lands that they love. Little do the British realize that one of their officers – Corporal Connor MacDonnell – is not exactly sympathetic to the British cause. He doesn’t feel the Acadians are being treated fairly. Plus, he is falling for the young and lovely Amélie Belliveau.
Amélie is gentle, sweet, and kind. But she is also fiesty and independent. Her father has taught her well: to stand up for herself and what is right. When the Acadians are treated unfairly, Amélie uses what she has learned from her father to make a plan to outsmart the British. With the help of Connor, the Acadians have a chance at making it. But the British won’t let them get away easily – and any help that Connor gives makes him a traitor to the British military.
I thought, based on this cover (which is amazing), that this would be a straight-up historical fiction that leans heavily on the romance. And while there is a light romance that brews between Connor and Amélie, it did not overshadow the larger part of the story, which featured the conflict between the British and the Acadians. I enjoyed the sweet romance, but I think I appreciated reading about this conflict even more because I learned so much about this event in Canadian history. I spent time looking up the background behind this story and the area and was fascinated with what I was reading. In particular, I loved the space that the Mi’kmaq occupied on the pages/on the audiobook, and I was pleased to see the amicable relationship that their group had with the Acadians. At the end of the story, I found that I still craved more from the Mi’kmaq, but I was happy for the page time that and the scenes that they had.
This story had great characterization and a lush, vibrant setting that was easy for me to visualize as I was listening to this audiobook. I feel like I know these characters pretty well after this story – especially Amélie and her father, Charles. My favorite thing about the book, probably, is the setting. Since I’m not very familiar with this area of Canada (in real life), I very much enjoyed listening to the descriptions of the Acadians’ land and the nearby waters. I also loved referring to the map in my print copy of the book and looking at the real-life Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia online so I could check out the area for myself.
I spent a lot of time on this story, absorbing it all. I fell in love with these characters and truly felt like I lived this experience along with them. I am excited to say that my print copy of Promises To Keep is now on my rereads shelf and that I wouldn’t hesitate to pull it down for rereads. The same applies to the audiobook-I would relisten to the audio in a heartbeat.
Audiobook Notes: The Promises To Keep audiobook is made great by its narrator: Alexis Quednau. The narrator is French Canadian; being able to listen to her read the book authentically was delightful because I love when accents are true. I love the way Ms. Quednau pronounced the names of the characters and places in the setting just as the locals would have. She also pronounced the Mi’kmaq words and names correctly, which was wonderful. I am from Eastern North Carolina and do not speak French nor with an accent like this narrator’s, so hearing the words spoken accurately added so much enjoyment to my reading experience.
Each time I settled in to listen, I found that after only a few minutes, I fell easily into the story and imagined that it was main character Amélie speaking directly to me. That is what I want when I’m listening to a book: connection directly with the characters. I especially felt that connection in several scenes where emotions were heightened, whether the scene was a little on the sad side or when the action was more intense. There were also times when Amélie was alone with her thoughts, and I felt particularly connected with her through the narration.
Title: Promises To Keep by Genevieve Graham
Published by: Audible Studios
Publish Date: 9-19-17
Length: 8 hours, 16 minutes, Unabridged
Narrator: Alexis Quednau
I received this audiobook for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I purchased my own paperback print copy.
Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!
April 6, 2017
Find this and other reviews at Ramblings of a Daydreamer.
In 2015, I read and loved Genevieve Graham’s historical novel, Tides of Honour. I love historical fiction, and have always lamented about the lack of Canadian historical fiction. Not only was Tides of Honour set in Canada, it also featured an event I knew nothing about: the Halifax Explosion of 1917. When I learned Ms Graham was writing a novel about the Acadian Expulsion, I was ecstatic. My dad was from Shediac, an Acadian town in New Brunswick. One of his brothers is into genealogy and did thorough research on our family line, even creating a book that each family member has (considering my dad was the youngest of 16 children, this book comes in extremely handy!). One thing he didn’t talk about in the book was the Acadian Expulsion, but when I told him I was visiting France for the second time in 2015, he called me and gave me some new information about our family - where our ancestors came from in France, plus the fact at least one of our ancestors was part of the Acadian Resistance, along with the fact our family was sent to Boston during the Expulsion, where they lived with Native Americans before returning to Canada. My dad died long before my uncle did any of this research, but being a proud Acadian, I know he would have loved this information, and I’m positive he would have loved Ms Graham’s Promises to Keep, just as I did.
Promises to Keep started in Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, an idyllic area with happy, flourishing families living comfortably off the land. They lived in harmony with the local Mi’kmaq tribe, and Amélie’s family in particular had close ties to the Natives. At the start of the story, the British Army had been a presence for awhile, but they didn’t interfere much with the locals. With new orders from the king, the Acadians' lives began to change in small ways that soon turned more drastic. The British wanted the Acadians' land, and they’d stop at nothing to get it.
I love that the story started with a view of what life was like pre-expulsion. Amélie and her family were happy and healthy, and they were proud Acadians. They never lost that pride, even when they lost nearly everything else. The beautiful life they lived was such a contrast to what unravelled throughout the book - their family being being ripped apart, and the misery, pain, and heartache that followed.
Graham did a fantastic job of weaving a story with strong characters, an engaging plot, and a sweet romance. I rooted for Amélia and Connor from the beginning, and my heart broke for all they had to go through together and separately. I loved how all the different elements of the story were twined together, creating something beautiful, complex, and meaningful. I truly felt for these characters - for the pain they had to endure, and the struggles they faced. Not only am I impressed with Graham’s storytelling ability, I’m also impressed that she managed to get so much story - and with such heart and emotion - into a relatively short book. So many stories like this drag on and end up overdoing it with historical detail, but Graham did a masterful job of balancing the historical aspects with the romance, action, and family aspects.
In the last couple of years, I’ve (mostly) learned not to get my hopes up too high for books, but because of my personal reasons for being curious about Promises to Keep, my expectations were high. I can honestly say Genevieve Graham exceeded by expectations with this story. Promises to Keep is a beautiful, engaging story about perseverance, hope, strength, family, and love. I can’t recommend this book highly enough to fans of historical fiction.
April 6, 2017
One of the best things I love about Historical Fiction is that it awakens a hunger in me to learn more. It’s an appetite that forces me to go beyond the storylines and seek the basis of the novel.
After devouring this in practically one sitting, I’ve come to realize that I don’t know much about the history of this great nation. I didn’t go to school here; even though I’ve been living here for 20+ years now. Other than the brief history I needed to learn in order for me to get my Canadian citizenship status; the current events, political or otherwise, my knowledge about this great country of mine is pretty paltry. Thanks to this book, I’ve developed an interest in the Expulsion of the Acadian people in the 17th century.
On the surface, Promises to Keep is a story about the romantic entanglement between an Acadian and English soldier. But on the large, it’s about the resiliency of the Acadian people at a time when they were forced out of their land and imprisoned in a ship on their way to exile. It is also about the fierce relationship between the Mi’kmaq people and the French Canadians. This was an especially curious interest to me the most.
Over the course of history, all we’ve ever known about the relationships between the indigenous people and the invaders of their land was how it was ripe with contempt and ill will. But the Mi’kmaq people and the French had developed a friendship that left the English confounded. Perhaps it was in this resulting uncanny camaraderie that the Acadian hoped for a better outcome of the invasion.
The Acadian people wanted to believe that they can live in harmony with the English soldiers. They showed little to no resistance; they fed them even. But they would soon realize that the dictates of war offer no such euphony. The English would leave them homeless first, then confined in the bellows of a ship sailing the perilous Atlantic Ocean towards the South.
Before the invasion, Genevieve depicted the idyllic life of the Acadians set in the backdrop of a lush farming land and the giving sea. There were conviviality and togetherness in the small population of Grand Pre. Unfortunately, the serenity would not last. Through her words, she also conveyed their hardship during the invasion. The more often hopelessness of their situation: the hunger, the filth they had to wade through, and their resolve to see through their plight no matter how desperate their situation.
And amidst this struggle, was the budding and tremulous romance between Amelie and Connor MacDonnell. It’s one that’s forbidden, dangerous but all the more important because their entanglement was the flint the Acadian needed to spark their resistance. MacDonnell was first burdened with a choice between doing his duties as a soldier and doing what’s right for Amelie’s people. But given his history with the British Army, this choice soon became less of a burden but more of the end justifying the means.
He was once a victim of the English invasion as well. He’s a Scot who had seen and tasted what the English were capable of when they marauded Scotland. After his entire family was killed during the war, he was left with no other choice but to become a soldier in service of the Queen. Even if he was full of hatred for the English. Which is why the decision to betray them even it means his death came to him easily.
Amelie was a strong woman who had to make hard decisions as well but never did she wallow or second guessed herself knowing what was at stake. She had a fierce love and loyalty to her family; a sense of belonging with the Mi’kmaq people, and love for her land that had given them so much over the years.
I started reading this book at noon on a Sunday. I finished reading it on my ride to work the following day. If you’ve ever considered Historical Fiction boring, Promises to Keep was far from it. Genevieve Graham rendered the most romantic landscape of the East Coast amidst the imperious haze of a brewing war. This book was a measly 300+ pages. But it offered so much perspective and connection to the characters and the history.
After devouring this in practically one sitting, I’ve come to realize that I don’t know much about the history of this great nation. I didn’t go to school here; even though I’ve been living here for 20+ years now. Other than the brief history I needed to learn in order for me to get my Canadian citizenship status; the current events, political or otherwise, my knowledge about this great country of mine is pretty paltry. Thanks to this book, I’ve developed an interest in the Expulsion of the Acadian people in the 17th century.
On the surface, Promises to Keep is a story about the romantic entanglement between an Acadian and English soldier. But on the large, it’s about the resiliency of the Acadian people at a time when they were forced out of their land and imprisoned in a ship on their way to exile. It is also about the fierce relationship between the Mi’kmaq people and the French Canadians. This was an especially curious interest to me the most.
Over the course of history, all we’ve ever known about the relationships between the indigenous people and the invaders of their land was how it was ripe with contempt and ill will. But the Mi’kmaq people and the French had developed a friendship that left the English confounded. Perhaps it was in this resulting uncanny camaraderie that the Acadian hoped for a better outcome of the invasion.
The Acadian people wanted to believe that they can live in harmony with the English soldiers. They showed little to no resistance; they fed them even. But they would soon realize that the dictates of war offer no such euphony. The English would leave them homeless first, then confined in the bellows of a ship sailing the perilous Atlantic Ocean towards the South.
Before the invasion, Genevieve depicted the idyllic life of the Acadians set in the backdrop of a lush farming land and the giving sea. There were conviviality and togetherness in the small population of Grand Pre. Unfortunately, the serenity would not last. Through her words, she also conveyed their hardship during the invasion. The more often hopelessness of their situation: the hunger, the filth they had to wade through, and their resolve to see through their plight no matter how desperate their situation.
And amidst this struggle, was the budding and tremulous romance between Amelie and Connor MacDonnell. It’s one that’s forbidden, dangerous but all the more important because their entanglement was the flint the Acadian needed to spark their resistance. MacDonnell was first burdened with a choice between doing his duties as a soldier and doing what’s right for Amelie’s people. But given his history with the British Army, this choice soon became less of a burden but more of the end justifying the means.
He was once a victim of the English invasion as well. He’s a Scot who had seen and tasted what the English were capable of when they marauded Scotland. After his entire family was killed during the war, he was left with no other choice but to become a soldier in service of the Queen. Even if he was full of hatred for the English. Which is why the decision to betray them even it means his death came to him easily.
Amelie was a strong woman who had to make hard decisions as well but never did she wallow or second guessed herself knowing what was at stake. She had a fierce love and loyalty to her family; a sense of belonging with the Mi’kmaq people, and love for her land that had given them so much over the years.
I started reading this book at noon on a Sunday. I finished reading it on my ride to work the following day. If you’ve ever considered Historical Fiction boring, Promises to Keep was far from it. Genevieve Graham rendered the most romantic landscape of the East Coast amidst the imperious haze of a brewing war. This book was a measly 300+ pages. But it offered so much perspective and connection to the characters and the history.
April 3, 2017
My immediate reaction after finishing PROMISES TO KEEP was WOW and that feeling hasn't left me yet. It's been my favourite of Genevieve Graham's books so far, and I think it's definitely her strongest book! Not only has she crafted a sweet romance between two honourable and strong characters, she's also woven a story of Canada's past in an engaging way, and I think she did a wonderful job with both!
The characters, the plot, the history, everything came together so well, and it left me eager to find out what would happen next! As I read each page, I became more and more invested in Amélie and Connor's story, and it had me hopeful when I knew there really wasn't much hope to be had. I have to admit that I really don't know much about the Acadians's history in Canada, so I was extremely interested in learning about them through PROMISES TO KEEP, and I loved the journey that Genevieve took me on!
Genevieve's vibrant and lush descriptions swept me away, and I could really imagine the idyllic life that the Acadians were living in Grand Pré. Their home was paradise, and it made it all the more tragic to experience what it must have felt like for them to be living there during the expulsion. What I loved most though (as is usual for me), were the characters. All of the characters were complex and well developed, and I absolutely adored the two main characters, Amélie and Connor! They were fantastic and I loved seeing their connection. Their budding romance was an excellent contrast to the conflict and turmoil surrounding them, and their perseverance was amazing!
While PROMISES TO KEEP isn't a happy story, mostly because the Acadian Expulsion was anything but happy, it was a wonderful journey to experience. Genevieve Graham has done an excellent job of pairing a sweet romance along with a dark time in Canada's history. She's brought awareness to something that not everyone knows about (myself included), and she's done it in a lively and engaging manner. If you're a fan of historical fiction, especially if you have an interest in Canadian history, and you also enjoy sweet romances, I think this is the perfect book for you!
The characters, the plot, the history, everything came together so well, and it left me eager to find out what would happen next! As I read each page, I became more and more invested in Amélie and Connor's story, and it had me hopeful when I knew there really wasn't much hope to be had. I have to admit that I really don't know much about the Acadians's history in Canada, so I was extremely interested in learning about them through PROMISES TO KEEP, and I loved the journey that Genevieve took me on!
Genevieve's vibrant and lush descriptions swept me away, and I could really imagine the idyllic life that the Acadians were living in Grand Pré. Their home was paradise, and it made it all the more tragic to experience what it must have felt like for them to be living there during the expulsion. What I loved most though (as is usual for me), were the characters. All of the characters were complex and well developed, and I absolutely adored the two main characters, Amélie and Connor! They were fantastic and I loved seeing their connection. Their budding romance was an excellent contrast to the conflict and turmoil surrounding them, and their perseverance was amazing!
While PROMISES TO KEEP isn't a happy story, mostly because the Acadian Expulsion was anything but happy, it was a wonderful journey to experience. Genevieve Graham has done an excellent job of pairing a sweet romance along with a dark time in Canada's history. She's brought awareness to something that not everyone knows about (myself included), and she's done it in a lively and engaging manner. If you're a fan of historical fiction, especially if you have an interest in Canadian history, and you also enjoy sweet romances, I think this is the perfect book for you!
February 7, 2018
Story 5 Stars
Graham’s Promises To Keep is a poignant and brutal reminder that real history is full of victims as well as victors as she retells what really happened in 1755 when the English forcibly expulse the peaceful residents of Acadia in what is present day Nova Scotia. The author uses two voices to tell her story, 1st person of her female lead Amélei Belliveau and 3rd person of Connor MacDonald the English soldier who becomes her unlikely savior, giving readers a unique fly on the wall view of the entire story. The dialogue definitely contains a taste of France and a hint of the Mi'kmaq Indians as she tells her heartbreaking tale of the harrowing journey of these people who lose their homes their land and many lose their lives during their tragic trail of tears. The characters are life like and utterly believable especially her courageous Amélei who suffers unimaginable hardships and still keeps her head held high and hope in her battered heart. Both history fans and lovers of literary historical fiction will devour this amazingly heart-rending novel.
NARRATION: 3 Stars
There are a few issues with the audible narration- The narrator Alexis Quednau has Amélei down pat and is the perfect choice for her, however her recitation of the other characters is at times very monotone and non-emotional and lacks the versatility needed for the other parts, especially the male voices. Also her lilting French accent, with which she absolutely nails the French and Mi’kmaq Indian words and makes her perfect for Amélei makes it somewhat difficult to understand some of her enunciations of English. She does however get better with the emotional aspect later on in the novel.
SUMMARY:
In the mid eighteenth century in Grand Pré, Acadia the non-violent farmers of French descent and the Mi'kmaq Indians share the land and live in peace during the constant turmoil and battles between the French and English armies. But all that changes when in 1755 the English finally defeat the French and the lives of these peaceful people change forever.
Seventeen-year-old Amélei Belliveau and her family have a small farm in Grand Pré, Acadia and are happy to share their bounties with their neighbors and the English army, she has even started a friendship with one of the soldiers, a man who knows all too well what she and her family are going through. But the winds of change are blowing and none of them good when the English turn from neighbors to aggressors and turn the people of her village into prisoners.
Connor MacDonnell finds himself in Acadia as a victim of circumstance belonging to the same English army that ten years earlier killed his parents and destroyed his Scottish way of life. After getting to know Amélei she has become more than important to him and he is determined to ease what he is sure will be a terrifying change for herself, her family and her entire community.
Graham’s Promises To Keep is a poignant and brutal reminder that real history is full of victims as well as victors as she retells what really happened in 1755 when the English forcibly expulse the peaceful residents of Acadia in what is present day Nova Scotia. The author uses two voices to tell her story, 1st person of her female lead Amélei Belliveau and 3rd person of Connor MacDonald the English soldier who becomes her unlikely savior, giving readers a unique fly on the wall view of the entire story. The dialogue definitely contains a taste of France and a hint of the Mi'kmaq Indians as she tells her heartbreaking tale of the harrowing journey of these people who lose their homes their land and many lose their lives during their tragic trail of tears. The characters are life like and utterly believable especially her courageous Amélei who suffers unimaginable hardships and still keeps her head held high and hope in her battered heart. Both history fans and lovers of literary historical fiction will devour this amazingly heart-rending novel.
NARRATION: 3 Stars
There are a few issues with the audible narration- The narrator Alexis Quednau has Amélei down pat and is the perfect choice for her, however her recitation of the other characters is at times very monotone and non-emotional and lacks the versatility needed for the other parts, especially the male voices. Also her lilting French accent, with which she absolutely nails the French and Mi’kmaq Indian words and makes her perfect for Amélei makes it somewhat difficult to understand some of her enunciations of English. She does however get better with the emotional aspect later on in the novel.
SUMMARY:
In the mid eighteenth century in Grand Pré, Acadia the non-violent farmers of French descent and the Mi'kmaq Indians share the land and live in peace during the constant turmoil and battles between the French and English armies. But all that changes when in 1755 the English finally defeat the French and the lives of these peaceful people change forever.
Seventeen-year-old Amélei Belliveau and her family have a small farm in Grand Pré, Acadia and are happy to share their bounties with their neighbors and the English army, she has even started a friendship with one of the soldiers, a man who knows all too well what she and her family are going through. But the winds of change are blowing and none of them good when the English turn from neighbors to aggressors and turn the people of her village into prisoners.
Connor MacDonnell finds himself in Acadia as a victim of circumstance belonging to the same English army that ten years earlier killed his parents and destroyed his Scottish way of life. After getting to know Amélei she has become more than important to him and he is determined to ease what he is sure will be a terrifying change for herself, her family and her entire community.
April 21, 2017
I picked this up for a few reasons. 1. "Fans of Gabaldon will love this" ; 2. It's a part of history we don't really read about, and one I'm really interested in ; 3. The reviews were all so great and there were so many 5 star ratings. The premise of this story was really good, I liked the idea ... was simply disappointed in the execution of it. It fell flat for me, I didn't feel as though I connected well with any of these characters; there wasn't much dimension to them. The main character, Amelie, was the central focus and I couldn't get past her immaturity, her naivete. I really didn't care for her as much as I should have; nor did I care for her relationship with Connor, the British soldier. I didn't buy that there was any "depth" to it, I just wasn't convinced. This was a far cry from anything by Gabaldon - I understand history/romance would lead you to believe they were similar in scope, but the depth and research of Gabaldon's works have you simply IMMERSED in the narrative, like you're living it. Not so with this book. A great effort, I enjoyed the premise and a bit of the Acadian history, but it just wasn't *enough* for me.
May 29, 2018
I must express my thanks to the author for her wonderfully romantic and heartbreaking historical family sagas. Having attended school in Nova Scotia from the mid 1940’s to mid 1950’s I never was exposed to any history about the expulsion of the Acadians in 1775. What little I knew was from a visit to Grand Pre as a child and from reading Longfellow’s poem Evangeline.
Promises to Keep makes the trials and tribulations of the dispossessed and expelled Acadian families feel very real to me. Pausing in the story to read some non-fiction history regarding the facts, I was impressed by the thoroughness of the author’s research. The sense of place and time and the characters connected me, as a reader, to the tragedy and to the victims’ suffering and resilience. It is a shameful part of Canadian history, and this book gives the reader a great introduction to the events.
Promises to Keep makes the trials and tribulations of the dispossessed and expelled Acadian families feel very real to me. Pausing in the story to read some non-fiction history regarding the facts, I was impressed by the thoroughness of the author’s research. The sense of place and time and the characters connected me, as a reader, to the tragedy and to the victims’ suffering and resilience. It is a shameful part of Canadian history, and this book gives the reader a great introduction to the events.
June 3, 2017
really good book. . I love seeing Canadian history brought to life
July 1, 2020
A strong 5* read for me. I loved the characters' strengths and courage when encountering the turmoil of England's audacious invasion of Acadia, the detailed life of the early Canadiens, and their fortitude when facing incredible heartbreaking struggles. An amazing novel.
Highly recommended historic reading from a gifted Canadian writer.
Highly recommended historic reading from a gifted Canadian writer.
Read
November 26, 2018I enjoyed this story very much. I have always been interested in the eastern provinces of Canada & prior to this book have found very little dealing with the history of that area. The author appeared to have done considerable research on the evacuation of the Acadians. This not only made the story interesting but also educational. I would suggest it to anyone interested in Canadian historical fiction.
April 18, 2017
I thought that Genevieve Graham's Tides of Honour was amazing, but she just keeps hitting it out of the park. I always love when she includes the local natives in her writing and the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia/Acadia are in this story. From the beginning I was drawn right into the story of a young Acadian man saving the life of a young Mi'kmaq man. And I wondered how their stories would entwine, I was not let down. It took a while to see Me'tekw again, but his appearance was wonderfully written and such an emotional journey for the reader as well as his character.
The main storyline follows Amélie, who happens to be the daughter of the Acadian man at the beginning of this novel. She is strong willed young woman who sometimes needs to learn to hold her tongue and not let all of her thoughts show on her face. She is bold and brave, even when she feels like she isn't. From the beginning, she stands up to the British army who have come to take their land. Her actions draw the attention of one young soldier, who happens to be fighting as a British solider due to circumstance, yet does not agree with how things are happening. I loved her character from the beginning - not afraid to stand up for what is right and speak her mind. As for the soldier, Coporal Connor MacDonnell, he's a charming Scotsman stuck in a life he doesn't want, but until now had no other options. He does his best to aid Amélie and her family without causing anyone to notice. They have to forbidden love going on where they both seem to like each other, but probably shouldn't yet he works his magic in showing her that he really is not the enemy that she assumes he should be. His tale is tragic as well and she begins to trust him.
So many terrible things happen to poor Amélie, her family and Connor. How can one person suffer so much? But it seems that this is the life that the poor displaced Acadians suffered. Relocation, illness, stravation, death - so many did not survive this horrible ordeal all because of a war between the English and the French that the Acadians wanted nothing to do with. I felt such heartache for Amélie while reading her story and the challenges she faced. I am happy to see that she at least had a happy ending thanks to Me'tekw of the Mi'kmaq. The way her life crosses with Me'tekw's was wonderful as I had been wondering when he would make an appearance again to fulfill his portion of the story.
This line right here made me realize why this book was titled, Promises To Keep.
"I held on tightly, but I didn't want to hear him promise anything; it seemed to me that all promises did was break hearts."
She was wrong, not all promises break hearts. And sometimes the promises help heal hearts.
If you haven't read any of Ms. Graham's other books I highly suggest picking up a copy of Promises To Keep and Tides of Honour to start as they deal with Canadian history that should not be missed out on.
http://www.snowdropdreams.ca/2017/03/...
The main storyline follows Amélie, who happens to be the daughter of the Acadian man at the beginning of this novel. She is strong willed young woman who sometimes needs to learn to hold her tongue and not let all of her thoughts show on her face. She is bold and brave, even when she feels like she isn't. From the beginning, she stands up to the British army who have come to take their land. Her actions draw the attention of one young soldier, who happens to be fighting as a British solider due to circumstance, yet does not agree with how things are happening. I loved her character from the beginning - not afraid to stand up for what is right and speak her mind. As for the soldier, Coporal Connor MacDonnell, he's a charming Scotsman stuck in a life he doesn't want, but until now had no other options. He does his best to aid Amélie and her family without causing anyone to notice. They have to forbidden love going on where they both seem to like each other, but probably shouldn't yet he works his magic in showing her that he really is not the enemy that she assumes he should be. His tale is tragic as well and she begins to trust him.
So many terrible things happen to poor Amélie, her family and Connor. How can one person suffer so much? But it seems that this is the life that the poor displaced Acadians suffered. Relocation, illness, stravation, death - so many did not survive this horrible ordeal all because of a war between the English and the French that the Acadians wanted nothing to do with. I felt such heartache for Amélie while reading her story and the challenges she faced. I am happy to see that she at least had a happy ending thanks to Me'tekw of the Mi'kmaq. The way her life crosses with Me'tekw's was wonderful as I had been wondering when he would make an appearance again to fulfill his portion of the story.
This line right here made me realize why this book was titled, Promises To Keep.
"I held on tightly, but I didn't want to hear him promise anything; it seemed to me that all promises did was break hearts."
She was wrong, not all promises break hearts. And sometimes the promises help heal hearts.
If you haven't read any of Ms. Graham's other books I highly suggest picking up a copy of Promises To Keep and Tides of Honour to start as they deal with Canadian history that should not be missed out on.
http://www.snowdropdreams.ca/2017/03/...
April 6, 2017
Genevieve Graham is a new author to me and she is Canadian to boot. Anyone who knows me knows that I get excited while discovering not just new authors from this great country but when the subject matter is Canadian history too. Canada is a great country with rich history and I'm always on the lookout for historical fiction taking place here and sadly they are hard to find, especially going back to the time period Promises to Keep deals with.
It's 1755 in Acadia (present day Nova Scotia) and even though Amelie and Connor are fictional characters what takes place is right out of the history books. I had no idea that something like the Acadian Expulsion could and did in fact take place. Believe me when I say I was googling as soon as I turned the last page.
The author painted an idyllic picture of what life was like for the Acadian's. Content in their way of life it wasn't hard to visualize the landscape with the vivid descriptions as well as their way of life. They are content until the British showed up. The author made me feel for the Acadians. As life turns I could feel the despair and heartache. While this book doesn't just stay in one place the Canadian wilderness is vast and at times unforgiving.
Both Amelie and Connor are unique, interesting and fully developed characters. Watching the relationship blossom as each struggles with their own personal convictions brought this story to life.
I won't go into detail about what takes place here, having enjoyed the ride myself I would not want to spoil it for anyone else. This book kept me captivated and it's one I highly recommend to those that love their historical fiction with history off the beaten path.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's 1755 in Acadia (present day Nova Scotia) and even though Amelie and Connor are fictional characters what takes place is right out of the history books. I had no idea that something like the Acadian Expulsion could and did in fact take place. Believe me when I say I was googling as soon as I turned the last page.
The author painted an idyllic picture of what life was like for the Acadian's. Content in their way of life it wasn't hard to visualize the landscape with the vivid descriptions as well as their way of life. They are content until the British showed up. The author made me feel for the Acadians. As life turns I could feel the despair and heartache. While this book doesn't just stay in one place the Canadian wilderness is vast and at times unforgiving.
Both Amelie and Connor are unique, interesting and fully developed characters. Watching the relationship blossom as each struggles with their own personal convictions brought this story to life.
I won't go into detail about what takes place here, having enjoyed the ride myself I would not want to spoil it for anyone else. This book kept me captivated and it's one I highly recommend to those that love their historical fiction with history off the beaten path.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2017
Set during the time of the Acadian expulsion in 1755 ("Le grand dérangement") from what is now Nova Scotia. Promises to Keep (2017, Simon & Schuster) contains a stronger, deeper story than its romantic cover art might suggest. While there is a strong attraction between the Acadian girl Amélie Belliveau and the English army Corporal Connor MacDonnell, there is little time for any romance for the English army is determined to rid their newly acquired territory of the Acadians as soon as possible. A peaceable people, the Acadians refuse to swear allegiance to the English King and want nothing to do with the French army either. Nevertheless, the Acadians are seen as French sympathizers by the English and likely to take up arms against them if they are allowed to remain in Acadia. These proud, stubborn people must be forcibly removed.
You van read the rest of my review at Books & Benches: http://ow.ly/LzDH30bi1CS
You van read the rest of my review at Books & Benches: http://ow.ly/LzDH30bi1CS
July 26, 2017
I was thrilled to find this book in my library just because I've recently noticed there isn't that much Canadian historical fiction. It's not like Canada has a boring history - why aren't there more??
I enjoyed learning more about the 1755 expulsion of the Acadians from what is now Nova Scotia. Amélie and her family live peacefully alongside the Mik'maq, descendants of French settlers but neutral in the ongoing French-British struggle for control of the colonies. Amélie meets a British soldier who seems sympathetic. I found this part a bit rushed and hard to believe, and Connor seemed so young and naive I couldn't stand him in the beginning. He promises to protect her and her family.
The suffering that Amélie and Connor separately undergo was well written and heart wrenching. This was a satisfying book (my favourite parts were when Mali or Me'tekw appeared) and I will keep an eye on this author.
I enjoyed learning more about the 1755 expulsion of the Acadians from what is now Nova Scotia. Amélie and her family live peacefully alongside the Mik'maq, descendants of French settlers but neutral in the ongoing French-British struggle for control of the colonies. Amélie meets a British soldier who seems sympathetic. I found this part a bit rushed and hard to believe, and Connor seemed so young and naive I couldn't stand him in the beginning. He promises to protect her and her family.
The suffering that Amélie and Connor separately undergo was well written and heart wrenching. This was a satisfying book (my favourite parts were when Mali or Me'tekw appeared) and I will keep an eye on this author.
April 29, 2018
The research done regarding the tragic history of the peace loving Acadians of Grande Pré, Nova Scotia was considerable and woven into this historical romance beautifully. It was a, quite frankly, shocking and horrific crime that was perpetrated upon these 15,000 innocent families by the British during the Seven Years War in the mid to late 1700's. It was during this horror that the love story takes place. A forbidden love. Promises to Keep is a powerful book with great characterizations. This is not a light book, but well worth the read. Another book that made me want to read more about the time period. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 24, 2017
I won a copy of this book through the goodreads giveaways.
I really enjoyed this read and the history it reflected for that time period. On top of portraying the harrowing experiences during that time it was also a story of hope and love.
It was a great read and I would highly recommend.
I really enjoyed this read and the history it reflected for that time period. On top of portraying the harrowing experiences during that time it was also a story of hope and love.
It was a great read and I would highly recommend.
February 15, 2018
This story is wonderful and I emotionally connected, but I had issues with the narration. Full Review to Come
July 8, 2018
Promises to Keep is a love story, but it’s a bit more than that. As one expects in a love story, there is introspection, examination of feelings on the part of the two main characters, Amélie Belliveau and Connor Macdonnell, but moreso for Amélie. But as well as being a love story, it’s two other things.
First, there is action. The story is set in the time of the Expulsion of the Acadians (or Le Grand Dérangement), and there is some violence, a lot of grief and sorrow, and scenes from one specific instance of the clash of English and French that occurred over many centuries. This takes the form of the English army, victorious in Maritime Canada, ridding their newly claimed territory of people, the Acadians, who refused to take an unconditional oath to the British Crown. The action is not only at the level of British Army versus Acadians, but down to the level of individuals, Sergeant Fitch, for example, versus the male members of the Belliveau family. The story also encompasses the Mikmaq who were friends both to the family Belliveau and to the French in general. There is also action at the level of Amélie and her family in evading discovery and recapture by the British, action associated with her father, her, and her sister making their way to Camp Espérance and then onward to Quebec City, and action in their struggles against disease. Finally, there is action in the separation and eventual reunion of Amélie and Connor, who are on opposite sides in the larger aspect of the conflict, but who have fallen in love. All this action is dealt with very well.
Second, there is history. This is what led me to Promises to Keep – an interest in seeing how the author, Genevieve Graham, used the historical backdrop of Grand-Pré in 1755 as part of the larger expulsion programme. She also handled this well. There is a lot of detail there, in the background (for example, naming two ships, the Pembroke and the Hobson, that actually were used to transport some of the Acadians out of Acadia), the roles of the Mikmaq and Maliseet, and the way she handles this historical background really does give credence to her stated aim of breathing life back into Canadian history. Examined from the perspective of the reader, it seems to me that there is some chicken-and-egg associated with this approach, however. The details of Camp Espérance and the man principally associated with it, Charles Deschamps de Boishébert, are virtually unknown to the vast majority of Canadians. Unless a reader is moved at least to some extent by an interest in history, it is likely that he or she would read over these details without taking a lot of notice, and probably without digging further to find out what all this was about. So for those readers it is likely that Camp Espérance and Boishébert would bob to the surface but immediately disappear again. And yet it is all part of the (for me) utterly fascinating story of the Acadians, of their gentleness but at the same time their tenacity, and a little research quickly leads one further, to events such as the Battle of the Restigouche of 1760, the last naval encounter of the Seven Years’ War. (In my case it probably helps that one of my aunts, a woman of Irish descent – maiden name Delaney – and unilingual French until her twenties, was born near Restigouche.) One hopes that Graham’s approach will appeal not only to some readers’ nascent or unconscious interest in history, but that it will also deliver, by a form of historical osmosis, an increased awareness in those who do not have this interest at present.
I read Promises to Keep because I wanted to see how someone else treated this period, and because I wanted to find other (fictional, anecdotal, re-enactment, call it what you like) paths into the story of that time, and into the details of the Acadians.
Promises to Keep is a novel set in a historical time, Acadia in the years beginning at 1755. Carrying this off is a tall order, since to take account of everything needs a good understanding of the history in a ‘big picture’ sense, a knowledge of details of the local history, and an understanding of the cultural factors and in general the ‘mood of the times’. The ‘mood of the times’ includes the specifics of how people thought and reacted to events, which wouldn’t necessarily be the same as thoughts and reactions that might occur today. One doesn’t need to become anal here, and the reaction of families being forcibly ejected from their homes and their land, and the reaction of families to being separated, the family members being aware that they might never see each other again, is very likely to be the same across all ages. All this Graham has handled well.
A different approach to treating history in fiction is to have the story pay due attention to the existence of historical detail as background in the present time. In principle, this should influence all stories set in the present day, since history never leaves us entirely. In practice, modern society gives so little attention to history that for many people it might as well not exist. An element of other stories that combine fiction and history is the forcible intrusion of history into the lives of the characters in those stories, an intrusion that they cannot ignore, and that often has dire consequences. This approach, the treatment of history as it is depicted intruding in the present day, can place different constraints on how that historical material is handled than does the ‘historical fiction’ approach described in the previous paragraph.
My overall judgment is that I enjoyed Promises to Keep, that it did a good job of presenting historical background unobtrusively, that I did indeed learn things about the Acadians and their world, and that it sharpened my sense on the differences between historical fiction, and the role of history in fiction set in the present day.
First, there is action. The story is set in the time of the Expulsion of the Acadians (or Le Grand Dérangement), and there is some violence, a lot of grief and sorrow, and scenes from one specific instance of the clash of English and French that occurred over many centuries. This takes the form of the English army, victorious in Maritime Canada, ridding their newly claimed territory of people, the Acadians, who refused to take an unconditional oath to the British Crown. The action is not only at the level of British Army versus Acadians, but down to the level of individuals, Sergeant Fitch, for example, versus the male members of the Belliveau family. The story also encompasses the Mikmaq who were friends both to the family Belliveau and to the French in general. There is also action at the level of Amélie and her family in evading discovery and recapture by the British, action associated with her father, her, and her sister making their way to Camp Espérance and then onward to Quebec City, and action in their struggles against disease. Finally, there is action in the separation and eventual reunion of Amélie and Connor, who are on opposite sides in the larger aspect of the conflict, but who have fallen in love. All this action is dealt with very well.
Second, there is history. This is what led me to Promises to Keep – an interest in seeing how the author, Genevieve Graham, used the historical backdrop of Grand-Pré in 1755 as part of the larger expulsion programme. She also handled this well. There is a lot of detail there, in the background (for example, naming two ships, the Pembroke and the Hobson, that actually were used to transport some of the Acadians out of Acadia), the roles of the Mikmaq and Maliseet, and the way she handles this historical background really does give credence to her stated aim of breathing life back into Canadian history. Examined from the perspective of the reader, it seems to me that there is some chicken-and-egg associated with this approach, however. The details of Camp Espérance and the man principally associated with it, Charles Deschamps de Boishébert, are virtually unknown to the vast majority of Canadians. Unless a reader is moved at least to some extent by an interest in history, it is likely that he or she would read over these details without taking a lot of notice, and probably without digging further to find out what all this was about. So for those readers it is likely that Camp Espérance and Boishébert would bob to the surface but immediately disappear again. And yet it is all part of the (for me) utterly fascinating story of the Acadians, of their gentleness but at the same time their tenacity, and a little research quickly leads one further, to events such as the Battle of the Restigouche of 1760, the last naval encounter of the Seven Years’ War. (In my case it probably helps that one of my aunts, a woman of Irish descent – maiden name Delaney – and unilingual French until her twenties, was born near Restigouche.) One hopes that Graham’s approach will appeal not only to some readers’ nascent or unconscious interest in history, but that it will also deliver, by a form of historical osmosis, an increased awareness in those who do not have this interest at present.
I read Promises to Keep because I wanted to see how someone else treated this period, and because I wanted to find other (fictional, anecdotal, re-enactment, call it what you like) paths into the story of that time, and into the details of the Acadians.
Promises to Keep is a novel set in a historical time, Acadia in the years beginning at 1755. Carrying this off is a tall order, since to take account of everything needs a good understanding of the history in a ‘big picture’ sense, a knowledge of details of the local history, and an understanding of the cultural factors and in general the ‘mood of the times’. The ‘mood of the times’ includes the specifics of how people thought and reacted to events, which wouldn’t necessarily be the same as thoughts and reactions that might occur today. One doesn’t need to become anal here, and the reaction of families being forcibly ejected from their homes and their land, and the reaction of families to being separated, the family members being aware that they might never see each other again, is very likely to be the same across all ages. All this Graham has handled well.
A different approach to treating history in fiction is to have the story pay due attention to the existence of historical detail as background in the present time. In principle, this should influence all stories set in the present day, since history never leaves us entirely. In practice, modern society gives so little attention to history that for many people it might as well not exist. An element of other stories that combine fiction and history is the forcible intrusion of history into the lives of the characters in those stories, an intrusion that they cannot ignore, and that often has dire consequences. This approach, the treatment of history as it is depicted intruding in the present day, can place different constraints on how that historical material is handled than does the ‘historical fiction’ approach described in the previous paragraph.
My overall judgment is that I enjoyed Promises to Keep, that it did a good job of presenting historical background unobtrusively, that I did indeed learn things about the Acadians and their world, and that it sharpened my sense on the differences between historical fiction, and the role of history in fiction set in the present day.
February 2, 2020
This is the second book of Genevieve Graham I have read.This book can make you cry and happy when they found more of their family after they lost their family to diseases.
June 9, 2018
This was not really the book I thought it was going to be, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I was expecting a dramatic, romance heavy historical fiction during wartime, which I was wrong about from the beginning because my ass didn't know what the Acadian Expulsion of 1755 was, I just saw the redcoat and assumed it was taking place during the War of Independence lmao I'm a great Canadian. So firstly, I'm glad that I now know something more about Canada's history than I did before. And it was definitely drama-filled, but not in the typical romance novel way. It was not petty or dramatique drama, it was lives are turning upside down, people are dying, death of innocence kind of drama for these characters. Which, of course, made for an interesting read, but wasn't what I had anticipated. I felt so drained and despaired by the time I finished! Especially knowing this was a real event.
The romance was not terribly centre stage here, but it does play a big role. It's more present in the first half of the novel, and since it needs to be built up before that halfway mark, it is a bit sped along and insta-lovey, which wasn't my favourite thing. I didn't feel like I had enough time to get to know Amelie and Connor well enough as characters and see their relationship bloom in the way that would have made me really attached to them. Still, it was sweet, and a good drive for the characters throughout. Amelie was certainly the most developed character; she had a clear arc that I enjoyed getting to see. Connor felt more static, like he arrived fully formed and the only real addition to his character was his love for Amelie. The rest of the cast is certainly static, but they were always more in the background to Amelie and Connor.
Now, the writing - I am so glad to have found another Canadian author whose writing I enjoy! Jennifer Robson really did not do it for me (in terms of Canadian historical romance) but Genevieve Graham had a style that was equal parts simple and eloquent and kept everything going smoothly. One thing that irked me, though, was the seemingly random point-of-view shifts. It's largely told from Amelie's perspective, with several chapters from Connor's, and then there are a couple of chapters from other character's viewpoints. I feel it would have felt more put together with Amelie and Connor alone telling the story and having equal page time. It's just that I personally find it kind of sloppy when sudden viewpoints are thrown in in order to move the plot along.
If historical fiction exploring true events is your thing, I would recommend this book. But if you're looking for a juicy historical romance and tragedy isn't on your list, it may not be what you're looking for.
The romance was not terribly centre stage here, but it does play a big role. It's more present in the first half of the novel, and since it needs to be built up before that halfway mark, it is a bit sped along and insta-lovey, which wasn't my favourite thing. I didn't feel like I had enough time to get to know Amelie and Connor well enough as characters and see their relationship bloom in the way that would have made me really attached to them. Still, it was sweet, and a good drive for the characters throughout. Amelie was certainly the most developed character; she had a clear arc that I enjoyed getting to see. Connor felt more static, like he arrived fully formed and the only real addition to his character was his love for Amelie. The rest of the cast is certainly static, but they were always more in the background to Amelie and Connor.
Now, the writing - I am so glad to have found another Canadian author whose writing I enjoy! Jennifer Robson really did not do it for me (in terms of Canadian historical romance) but Genevieve Graham had a style that was equal parts simple and eloquent and kept everything going smoothly. One thing that irked me, though, was the seemingly random point-of-view shifts. It's largely told from Amelie's perspective, with several chapters from Connor's, and then there are a couple of chapters from other character's viewpoints. I feel it would have felt more put together with Amelie and Connor alone telling the story and having equal page time. It's just that I personally find it kind of sloppy when sudden viewpoints are thrown in in order to move the plot along.
If historical fiction exploring true events is your thing, I would recommend this book. But if you're looking for a juicy historical romance and tragedy isn't on your list, it may not be what you're looking for.
March 7, 2019
I don’t often give 5s but I really loved this book, for many reasons.
First, it’s a fantastic tale of a time in Canadian (Nova Scotia) history, the expulsion of the Acadien people, that grabbed me for its reality, both good and bad. I love Graham’s descriptions of the surrounds and especially the characters. She paints such vivid pictures for me, for example I can’t imagine the conditions in the boat, especially when I know how cold a Nova Scotia winter gets. I can hardly wait to go to Grand Pre again, I will have a whole new appreciation for it.
But more than just a great story, it really made me think on a bigger scale. We studied this in school history but the difference is talking about the expulsion of a group of nameless people versus the story of the Belliveau family, especially Amelie, who were uprooted from their peaceful and productive life for no really good reason. This brought the events into much greater perspective for me. Such events happen all the time around the world, but I will have more empathy after reading this book, realising its not just a generic group of people, but real individuals and families, with homes, careers, loves and feelings for their home country.
Why does this keep happening, what is it that drives us to terrorise another group? We’re all just people. When I started travelling, I gained a much better appreciation for people with different cultures, realising how similar we are, regardless of our houses, clothes and language. I think we can and should do better!
Thanks Genevieve Graham for your books, I look forward to the next one!
First, it’s a fantastic tale of a time in Canadian (Nova Scotia) history, the expulsion of the Acadien people, that grabbed me for its reality, both good and bad. I love Graham’s descriptions of the surrounds and especially the characters. She paints such vivid pictures for me, for example I can’t imagine the conditions in the boat, especially when I know how cold a Nova Scotia winter gets. I can hardly wait to go to Grand Pre again, I will have a whole new appreciation for it.
But more than just a great story, it really made me think on a bigger scale. We studied this in school history but the difference is talking about the expulsion of a group of nameless people versus the story of the Belliveau family, especially Amelie, who were uprooted from their peaceful and productive life for no really good reason. This brought the events into much greater perspective for me. Such events happen all the time around the world, but I will have more empathy after reading this book, realising its not just a generic group of people, but real individuals and families, with homes, careers, loves and feelings for their home country.
Why does this keep happening, what is it that drives us to terrorise another group? We’re all just people. When I started travelling, I gained a much better appreciation for people with different cultures, realising how similar we are, regardless of our houses, clothes and language. I think we can and should do better!
Thanks Genevieve Graham for your books, I look forward to the next one!
September 11, 2017
A gem of an historical fiction novel set in Canada, specifically, our east coast and Nova Scotia back when it wasn't that, back when it was Grand Pre and l'Acadie and the Mi'kmaq and Acadians lived side by side, back before the English came in their redcoats and set about seizing their land.
In 1755 the Acadians faced expulsion from their homes, land and country. This tale is about a headstrong devoted Acadian girl, Amelie Belliveau and the soldier, Connor MacDonnell, she wants to despise for carrying out his orders for expulsion and hardships and deaths of the villagers that follow.
But Connor is not English, he is a Scot tossed from his own home in Scotland during Culloden and made an orphan, sold into slavery in America and then into the English army. He reluctantly serves but uses his position to free the Belliveaus and their countrymen best he can.
This book is about trust, upheaval and a terrible time in the history of our country. Graham tells a strong story, a likeable cast of determined characters, a beautiful setting along the Bay of Fundy, the forests of Quebec and the east coast.
It is an unlikely union between Amelie and Connor but for those who have lost loved ones and found one another the ending is one of hope for the future, their own and the Acadians.
I am looking forward to reading all of Graham's fiction, well-done.
In 1755 the Acadians faced expulsion from their homes, land and country. This tale is about a headstrong devoted Acadian girl, Amelie Belliveau and the soldier, Connor MacDonnell, she wants to despise for carrying out his orders for expulsion and hardships and deaths of the villagers that follow.
But Connor is not English, he is a Scot tossed from his own home in Scotland during Culloden and made an orphan, sold into slavery in America and then into the English army. He reluctantly serves but uses his position to free the Belliveaus and their countrymen best he can.
This book is about trust, upheaval and a terrible time in the history of our country. Graham tells a strong story, a likeable cast of determined characters, a beautiful setting along the Bay of Fundy, the forests of Quebec and the east coast.
It is an unlikely union between Amelie and Connor but for those who have lost loved ones and found one another the ending is one of hope for the future, their own and the Acadians.
I am looking forward to reading all of Graham's fiction, well-done.
May 22, 2017
With the history of the expulsion of the Acadians by the British in 1755 as the setting, a young girl becomes a woman and falls in love. Only she is torn between what is right and what is good. The man is a soldier in the British army, her enemy.
This book is an easy read. It is a story of blossoming love, and growing up, but also of devastating loss. If you are interested in learning about Canadian history in an engaging way then this is a good read for that. The close relationships between the Mi'kmaq and the French settlers, the greed and brutality of the British for fertile land and abundant resources and the similarity between the Acadian and the Scottish "clearings" is all covered in a fictional, but believable way.
This book is an easy read. It is a story of blossoming love, and growing up, but also of devastating loss. If you are interested in learning about Canadian history in an engaging way then this is a good read for that. The close relationships between the Mi'kmaq and the French settlers, the greed and brutality of the British for fertile land and abundant resources and the similarity between the Acadian and the Scottish "clearings" is all covered in a fictional, but believable way.
March 28, 2018
I would give this wonderfully written story 4.5 if goodreads ratings allowed.
A powerful story of promises and choices made; the will to survive against all odds and love that sacrificed much to ensure the safety of the beloved.
In the midst of war between the French and the English, the peaceful Acadian and Mi'kmaq people were mistrusted and caught up in the British grasping for more land without caring for those who had lived there in harmony with it before them. This story follows the lives of one family, torn apart by the Acadian expulsion of the mid 1700's and the promises that allowed for a small remnant to survive and be reunited.
Well written story of Canadian Historical Fiction.
I look forward to reading more of Graham's works!
A powerful story of promises and choices made; the will to survive against all odds and love that sacrificed much to ensure the safety of the beloved.
In the midst of war between the French and the English, the peaceful Acadian and Mi'kmaq people were mistrusted and caught up in the British grasping for more land without caring for those who had lived there in harmony with it before them. This story follows the lives of one family, torn apart by the Acadian expulsion of the mid 1700's and the promises that allowed for a small remnant to survive and be reunited.
Well written story of Canadian Historical Fiction.
I look forward to reading more of Graham's works!
March 14, 2025
THIS!
As a Acadian from New Brunswick. this book speaks louder for me.
I have heard all these true stories from my grand parents/ my parents. in the last 10 years i have been more intrigued to see what my heritage is.
Yes i am aware that this is fiction. This type of story and the tragic way this happened to my ancestors. is so dark and true.
I am very delighted that Genevieve Graham has taken the time to research and write this.
We Acadian are strong and will continue to fight for our French / chiac language. and way of living
Thank you Genevieve Graham
I cried, felt proud reading this historical fiction. 5Stars. please read this one. lets have the world know of my ancestors Bravery.🟡🔵⚪🔴
As a Acadian from New Brunswick. this book speaks louder for me.
I have heard all these true stories from my grand parents/ my parents. in the last 10 years i have been more intrigued to see what my heritage is.
Yes i am aware that this is fiction. This type of story and the tragic way this happened to my ancestors. is so dark and true.
I am very delighted that Genevieve Graham has taken the time to research and write this.
We Acadian are strong and will continue to fight for our French / chiac language. and way of living
Thank you Genevieve Graham
I cried, felt proud reading this historical fiction. 5Stars. please read this one. lets have the world know of my ancestors Bravery.🟡🔵⚪🔴
May 21, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It was so nice how everything wrapped up beautifully together at the end. The main character, Amelie, is so strong such a gentle soul as well. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because I felt like some of the main parts (like the month they were on the ship) were a little bit skimmed over. To hear more about those experiences would’ve brought a little bit more history on the brutality that was faced during the wars. Overall, I would recommend this book. :)
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