Blood Bound: Unlacing Secret Ties by Marie-Josee Poisson, Translated by Flora-Lee Bendit

Blood Bound: Unlacing Secret Ties by Marie-Josee Poisson is a work of historical fiction that reimagines the life of Madame de Pompadour, the chief mistress of King Louis XV. The novel begins in the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the president of the French Republic and once the home of Madame de Pompadour. Secreted in the wall, workmen find an elaborate curt dress, a robe à la française, splattered in blood.

The gold and silver brocading was luxurious, the quality was that of a great work of art. Then, he was enchanted by the silk’s colour palette. On a celestial blue background, vegetal décor bloomed, dominated by pink – the lustrous pink of a blossoming young girl’s cheeks – and rich green, the marquise’s favourite colours. He recollected the description of the Pompadour coat of arms: “Azure, thee sable-masoned argent towers, topped by the marquis crown and carried by two griffons.” The silk manufacturers of Lyon had retained just the towers, embroidered with precious metal on a background of turquoise, that vivid tone repeatedly requested by the marquise for her porcelain.

At the same time in Quebec, Lou Ashby, a young communications director for a Francophone television company, is having a difficult time at work. Either motivated by jealousy or some other form of corporate game-playing, her manager appears to be undermining her. As an attractive and fashionable young professional with good friends and a strong work ethic, Lou becomes increasingly distraught by her treatment at work which feels to her like bullying. A secret that Lou has long kept private is her family’s surname which she no longer uses, and in a moment of tremendous spite, her manager exposes Lou’s secret and therefore Lou to public ridicule.

Lou takes a leave from work and determines to uncover the rumours associated with her concealed family’s surname. She embarks on a quest that takes her to France where she meets with historians, military experts, genealogists and museum curators. As Lou discovers important information about her heritage, the mystery of the dress hidden in the wall of the Élysée is also explored, seamlessly linking the past to the present.

This is an assured and polished narrative that embodies mystery, intrigue and romance within an utterly convincing work of historical fiction. Beautifully detailed with delightful characters and lush settings, Blood Bound: Unlacing Secret Ties is an accomplished and memorable novel.

Marie-Josée Poisson spent many years working as a senior level communications professional for various Montreal organizations, including a stint as a magazine editor. She left the communications field to focus on her creative writing and has written three historical novels.

Flora-Lee Bendit has been a translator for almost 40 years, working primarily in the corporate sector. Blood Bound: Unlacing Secret Ties was her first literary endeavour and her greatest challenge. It allowed this logophile to express her passion for creative translation and verbal art. She continues to work as a freelance French-to-English translator.

Publisher: Guernica Editions (March 1, 2026)
Paperback 9″ x 6″ | 240 pages
ISBN: 9781778490408

Lucy E. M. Black

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Lucy E.M. Black (she/her/hers) is the author of The Marzipan Fruit Basket, Eleanor Courtown, Stella’s Carpet, The Brickworks and Class Lessons: Stories of Vulnerable Youth. A Quilting of Scars will be released October 2025. Her award-winning short stories have been published in Britain, Ireland, USA and Canada. She is a dynamic workshop presenter, experienced interviewer and freelance writer. She lives with her partner in the small lakeside town of Port Perry, Ontario, the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island, First Nations.

Lucy E. M. Black

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