Nova Scotia Shaped By the Sea: A Living History by Lesley Choyce

The history of Nova Scotia is an amazing story of a land and a people shaped by the waves, the tides, the wind, and the wonder of the North Atlantic. Choyce weaves the legacy of this unique coastal province, piecing together the stories written in the rocks, the wrecks, and the record books of human glory and error.

Acadian Driftwood: One Family and the Great Expulsion by Tyler LeBlanc

[dropcap]The[/dropcap] year 2020 marks 265 years since the Acadian Expulsion (Le Grande Dérangement) in 1755. Unfortunately, the outbreak of Covid-19 will likely not allow Acadians to gather together to observe this milestone year. Annually, on August 15th (the actual day of the start of the deportations), Acadians the world over observe their overcoming of the …

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Two Novels of Le Grand Dérangement

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 in what is now the New England states. The following two novels, both suitable for mature young readers on up, focus on this time of upheaval and the separation of families.

Come From Away by Genevieve Graham

[dropcap]Look [/dropcap]closely at the cover image of Come From Away (2018 Simon and Schuster). The young woman is Grace Baker, daughter of Danny and Audrey Baker, the main protagonists of Ms. Graham’s hugely successful 2015 novel Tides of Honour. Who is the young blond-haired man? See the submarine in the lower right corner? That’s supposed …

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Piau: Journey to the Promised Land by Bruce Murray

[dropcap]It [/dropcap]is encouraging to see more books (either fictional or non-fictional) being written about the Acadians and their lives and way of life before and after 1755. That was the year of “Le Grand Dérangement” when they were the victims of cultural genocide by the occupying British command and put on ships to be dispersed …

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New Brunswick: An Illustrated History by Ronald Rees

Being fairly new to New Brunswick (I moved here in 2008), I really didn’t know much about its history despite growing up only one province away in Ontario. I had visited here once before in the 80’s on a camping trip to the east coast, but other than that, NB was virtually unknown to me. …

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