Couldn't put this down! If you like historical fiction, read this! The brutal acts by the Catholic Church is eye opening and very interesting too. Some romance thrown in too makes for a great read. ( )

I received a copy of this book as part of the Early Reviewers program.

Let's start with the positives. The story was compelling and I found myself wondering what would happen next, and had a hard time putting it down.

From a technical aspect, the use of primarily first person was particularly off putting. The language choices were pretty grandiose, and everything was defined in such dramatic terms that it was hard to feel like anything was important because everything was important.

The author also took time to soliloquize on topics of slavery, and theft of native lands. These felt particularly trite and more like virtue signaling than a thoughtful new perspective. It was also hard to read her romanticized descriptions of native and African peoples, as they were putting those peoples on a pedestal rather than making them real.

The main character is also supposed to be a strong, willful woman, but her reactions to her situations don't match her description.

The love interests also feel like they're shoehorned in to create drama. There's no real connection created with either man, making their relationships hard to believe. I will say, however, her description of the encounter in the woods with the second man was quite well done, so much so that it felt like I was reading a different writer.

The ending felt abrupt, which I suppose set her up for a second book, but I have no interest in seeing where this story goes.

Overall, it was a bit clunky with some style and editing issues, but it was okay. ( )

I found this book to be a little hard to get into, however it turned out to be well worth the effort upon persevering and I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. Would shelve it along with 'historical fiction' as the realism gives the reader a taste of what may have actually happened in the past.
A good read! ( )

It’s 1661 La Rochelle, France. The Protestant Huguenots are being persecuted and forced to convert to the Catholic religion. Life is fraught with danger and fear for those who refuse. Just going about ones daily tasks can lead to beatings and far worse. Their religious rites must be preformed in secret deep in the woods surrounding the town.
It is in this world that our protagonist, Isabelle is born and raised. As a young woman it is she who must venture out into town to obtain her mothers and her own daily staples. As a strong, courageous woman she is well suited to the task. That is until a decree comes down declaring all property of the Huguenots forfeit and that they should leave town or face the consequences. I don’t want to tell too much of the story here since it’s a wonderful tale best told by the author. Suffice it to say she and her mother flee their home and thus Isabelle takes her first step on a journey that will take her from her small French town to the NewWorld.
Overall this is a well written novel. There is a Nice even pace throughout the book. Each scene advances the plot and reinforces our understanding of Isabelle’s situation and shows the untenable position the Huguenots were forced into. Ms Chaput has done an admirable job with her character development. The main character, Isabelle is fully fleshed out. We know her strengths and weaknesses and the motivations behind her actions though not always agreed with by this reader. At first I thought her outspokenness and fierce strength was out of place in 17th century France and Canada but as I thought about it I realized that it would take just the qualities she possesses to accept the kings offer, to leave ones homeland all alone and sail off into a unknown and alien world. It would take a woman possessed of Incredible inner strength and courage. Each of the women who travel with her possess these qualities, most just don’t know it. Isabelle wants to use her voice to help them find theirs.
For the most part the book is filled with wonderful historic details. I have one small complaint here, I wish there had been more description of New France’s physical surroundings and what the daily life for it’s inhabitants was like.
All in all the novel is an engaging read that I whole heartedly recommend for fans of historical fiction.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Black Rose Writing and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review. ( )

I'm fascinated by this time in history (in fact, I'm descended from a fille du roi!) so I was immediately interested in this story. I found it to be different than I expected (hard to explain without spoilers) but all around a good read about a super interesting period of history. ( )