As Mary at the Covenant Christian Resource Center in Randolph knows, I have been waiting for this book for a year. Laura Frantz releases these historical fiction gems every January and I clear my reading schedule for them. Each book is a trip back in time, filled with gorgeous detail, characters you love, sweet romances, and historical predicaments. 

The Seamstress of Acadie was no exception. Set in the 1750s in Acadie (present day Nova Scotia), this book takes you to an oft-overlooked event in history: the forced removal of the Acadian settlers by the British. While I had known of the Le Grand Derangement, I didn’t know it was that horrific. It bordered on an ethnic cleansing. I cried when I read what happened to the Galant family and continued to mourn as I followed the story of Sylvie Galant struggling to live as an unwanted refugee in Virginia. Of course, there is a dashing hero and a happy ending, but my perception of the French and Indian War has forever been changed. It’s no wonder we rebelled against England 20-some years later.

Pros: While the book is long, there are plenty of short chapters and enough twists and turns to keep you reading way past bedtime. Laura Frantz is one of those historical fiction authors that immerse you in the era. If you manage to put the book down, you are usually mildly surprised that you aren’t living in colonial days. You will learn so much about early American history!

Cons: The book ended.

For the easily bored reader, the book does slow down a lot in the middle, but stick with it. There’s something brewing under the surface that will explode in Act 3.

Bottom Line: A heart-wrenching story set during an oft-overlooked tragedy.