Welcome to the Simon & Schuster Canada Timeless Tour. I'll be hosting you every Wednesday from now until the end of April with reviews, giveaways, guest posts and more. So keep checking back to see what I have in store for you. Also, at the end of this post I have linked up the rest of the tour that you can follow daily. Enjoy!
Promises To Keep by Genevieve Graham
Published: April 4, 2017Publisher: Simon & SchusterPages: 336Received: for honest review and blog tour via publisherFind Online: Simon & Schuster CA | Goodreads | AmazonAn enchanting and poignant story about the unfailing power of love in a world turned upside down by war—from the bestselling author of Tides of Honour.
Summer 1755, Acadia
Young, beautiful Amélie Belliveau lives with her family among the Acadians of Grande Pré, Nova Scotia, content with her life on their idyllic farm. Along with their friends, the neighbouring Mi’kmaq, the community believes they can remain on neutral political ground despite the rising tides of war. But peace can be fragile, and sometimes faith is not enough. When the Acadians refuse to pledge allegiance to the British in their war against the French, the army invades Grande Pré, claims the land, and rips the people from their homes. Amélie’s entire family, alongside the other Acadians, is exiled to ports unknown aboard dilapidated ships.
Fortunately, Amélie has made a powerful ally. Having survived his own harrowing experience at the hands of the English, Corporal Connor MacDonnell is a reluctant participant in the British plan to expel the Acadians from their homeland. His sympathy for Amélie gradually evolves into a profound love, and he resolves to help her and her family in any way he can—even if it means treason. As the last warmth of summer fades, more ships arrive to ferry the Acadians away, and Connor is forced to make a decision that will alter the future forever.
Heart-wrenching and captivating, Promises to Keep is a gloriously romantic tale of a young couple forced to risk everything amidst the uncertainties of war.
I thought that Genevieve Graham's Tides of Honour was amazing, but she just keeps hitting it out of the park. I always love when she includes the local natives in her writing and the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia/Acadia are in this story. From the beginning I was drawn right into the story of a young Acadian man saving the life of a young Mi'kmaq man. And I wondered how their stories would entwine, I was not let down. It took a while to see Me'tekw again, but his appearance was wonderfully written and such an emotional journey for the reader as well as his character.
The main storyline follows Amélie, who happens to be the daughter of the Acadian man at the beginning of this novel. She is strong willed young woman who sometimes needs to learn to hold her tongue and not let all of her thoughts show on her face. She is bold and brave, even when she feels like she isn't. From the beginning, she stands up to the British army who have come to take their land. Her actions draw the attention of one young soldier, who happens to be fighting as a British solider due to circumstance, yet does not agree with how things are happening. I loved her character from the beginning - not afraid to stand up for what is right and speak her mind. As for the soldier, Coporal Connor MacDonnell, he's a charming Scotsman stuck in a life he doesn't want, but until now had no other options. He does his best to aid Amélie and her family without causing anyone to notice. They have to forbidden love going on where they both seem to like each other, but probably shouldn't yet he works his magic in showing her that he really is not the enemy that she assumes he should be. His tale is tragic as well and she begins to trust him.
So many terrible things happen to poor Amélie, her family and Connor. How can one person suffer so much? But it seems that this is the life that the poor displaced Acadians suffered. Relocation, illness, stravation, death - so many did not survive this horrible ordeal all because of a war between the English and the French that the Acadians wanted nothing to do with. I felt such heartache for Amélie while reading her story and the challenges she faced. I am happy to see that she at least had a happy ending thanks to Me'tekw of the Mi'kmaq. The way her life crosses with Me'tekw's was wonderful as I had been wondering when he would make an appearance again to fulfill his portion of the story.
This line right here made me realize why this book was titled, Promises To Keep.
"I held on tightly, but I didn't want to hear him promise anything; it seemed to me that all promises did was break hearts."
She was wrong, not all promises break hearts. And sometimes the promises help heal hearts.
If you haven't read any of Ms. Graham's other books I highly suggest picking up a copy of Promises To Keep and Tides of Honour to start as they deal with Canadian history that should not be missed out on.
About the Author:
Genevieve
Graham graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in music
in 1986 and began writing in 2007. Her first three novels, Under the
Same Sky, Sound of the Heart, and Somewhere to Dream, were international
bestsellers. Graham is passionate about historical adventure, runs an
editing business, and teaches piano. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Visit her at GenevieveGraham.com. - See more at:
http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Tides-of-Honour/Genevieve-Graham/9781476790510#sthash.CuXdSyxJ.dpuf
Genevieve Graham graduated from the
University of Toronto in 1986 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance
(playing the oboe). While on a ski vacation in Alberta, she met her
future husband in a chairlift lineup and subsequently moved to Calgary
to be with him. They have recently settled in a small, peaceful town in
Nova Scotia with their two beautiful daughters.
It would be great to
ReplyDeletewin a copy of Promises To Keep by Genevieve Graham.
In response to your question of
What interests you the most about Genevieve Graham's book?
I like that the story takes place
when the British was at war against the French.
Thank you for having this giveaway.
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