Tides of Acadia (The Origins of Acadia Series Book 1)

For readers of Bernard Cornwell and Geraldine Brooks — a sweeping novel of love, betrayal, and survival on the contested shores of 17th-century Acadia, where French soldiers, English raiders, and the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, and Wendat peoples fought to shape a new world."Tides of Acadia is an epic story, artfully rendered, yet sweeping in its scope. Although it's clear that the author has done his historical homework, the rich details on parade here never overwhelm the narrative."— KIRKUS REVIEWSCharles de La Tour was ten years old when his father took him to sea. By the time he returned to France a grown man, he had built a fur-trading empire on the rugged coast of what is now Maine and Maritime Canada — and earned the loyalty of the Indigenous nations who had taught him how to survive there. But in the salons of Paris, Charles meets Françoise Jacquelin, a fiery young actress about to perform for the King at Versailles. Their unlikely love will carry her across the Atlantic to a wilderness fort on the Bay of Fundy — and into a war that will test everything they believe.From the gilded chambers of Cardinal Richelieu to the smoke-filled lodges of Mi'kmaq chiefs, from naval battles in the world's highest tides to the burning of Port Royal, Tides of Acadia brings to vivid life a forgotten chapter of North American history. Charles and Françoise must navigate the deadly rivalries of the French court, the relentless pressure of English expansion, and the ambitions of a ruthless enemy — Menou d'Aulnay — whose hatred will shape the fate of a colony.A second-edition novel based on real historical figures and meticulously researched primary sources.This is the true story of the men and women who built Acadia: the soldiers and seafarers, the Jesuits and traders, the Indigenous leaders who chose alliance over conquest, and the Acadian settlers who would one day declare, Who wants to return to France? Read more