The Great Deportation or Le Grand Dérangement, of the Acadian peoples, began in 1755 in the area now called the Bay of Fundy. Homes and farms were burned, and many of the 14,000 inhabitants of Acadia were herded aboard British ships and sent off to the Thirteen Colonies. The following two novels, both suitable for mature young readers on up, focus on this time of upheaval and the separation of families. Of course, it wasn’t only Acadians that were hunted by the British, the Miq’maw peoples, who were friendly to the Acadians also suffered and they figure prominently in these two novels as well.
The Lookout Tree by Diane Carmel Léger
This novel was different from other accounts I’ve read in that the Acadians concerned never actually leave Acadia, but manage to exist within sight of their former village, undetected by the British. It has a nice balance of humour, hard times and family connectedness to make for an enjoyable and informative read for all ages.
The Banished by Alex MacLean
The Banished is a very well-written and, for a self-published book, well-produced and edited. A great adventure story that goes from Acadia to Boston and back. At 400+ pages, it’s a longer read, but the content is suitable for a young adult. on up. A Miramichi Reader “Pick”! (“Picks” are awarded to exceptional self-published and internationally written and/or published books)
*Please note if you choose to purchase either of these books through Amazon using the image links above I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
[related-post id=”12715″]
James M. Fisher is the Founding Editor of The Miramichi Reader. He began TMR in 2015, realizing that there was a genuine need for more book reviews of Canadian literature. It has since become Canada’s best-regarded source for the finest in new literary releases. James has been interviewed about TMR on CBC Radio and other media sites. He works as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technologist and lives in Miramichi, New Brunswick with his wife Diane, their tabby cat Eddie, and Buster the Red Merle Border Collie.