Just an aside...in my short story The Promise (there's a tab on my substack page), Maman Comeau reminds her husband that there's more to the Acadian women of Port Royal than the men think .
"Marguerite smiled a smile that reached her cornflower blue eyes. “Have you learned nothing in your 20 years in Acadie?”
He exhaled, relaxed his shoulders and sat upright. “Her women love to gossip.”
Marguerite tapped his arm. “B'en sûr. We learn much during our gossips. Acadian men suspect. Those others – they don't. They think nothing happens in our homes but cooking and making babies.”
All we need do is follow our mother lines, heh, to see where much work is done? (:
Another gripping episode. I was particularly interested in the way the Acadians tolerated the theft of the cow. So pragmatic and better for everybody concerned.
I was surprised to learn this was the practice, at least it was in the 18th century in that place. I extrapolated that a community of proportionally fewer French settlers in the 17th century would have done the same. I wonder what it really meant. Was it some kind of symbiotic relationship between the native people and the newcomers? It was it a way to keep the peace? Or did the newcomers have some understanding that they were living off someone else’s property, too?
A 2x great-grandfather gave his son his best friend’s first name as a middle name, Moreau. That great-grandfather was so loved, my sister gave her son the name too. Now I’m curious about the history of the name Moreau. 📖
More good stuff. Hope you are planning a book out of this.
And the tension builds...
Those trouble-making women!!!!
Just an aside...in my short story The Promise (there's a tab on my substack page), Maman Comeau reminds her husband that there's more to the Acadian women of Port Royal than the men think .
"Marguerite smiled a smile that reached her cornflower blue eyes. “Have you learned nothing in your 20 years in Acadie?”
He exhaled, relaxed his shoulders and sat upright. “Her women love to gossip.”
Marguerite tapped his arm. “B'en sûr. We learn much during our gossips. Acadian men suspect. Those others – they don't. They think nothing happens in our homes but cooking and making babies.”
All we need do is follow our mother lines, heh, to see where much work is done? (:
I will read this story!
When I first read the story of how Andrée walloped that predator, I brimmed with pride!
And her Poirier aka Caissie neighbor was no slouch in that department either!
What a saga! And he had moved on to the Kessys. Waiting for the next installment.
I don't have the timeline for when he moved from Pellerin to Kessy, but I doubt Andree would have tolerated his presence after her husband died.
Like the pox, transient. Andree did not have an easy time of it, that's for sure.
Another gripping episode. I was particularly interested in the way the Acadians tolerated the theft of the cow. So pragmatic and better for everybody concerned.
I was surprised to learn this was the practice, at least it was in the 18th century in that place. I extrapolated that a community of proportionally fewer French settlers in the 17th century would have done the same. I wonder what it really meant. Was it some kind of symbiotic relationship between the native people and the newcomers? It was it a way to keep the peace? Or did the newcomers have some understanding that they were living off someone else’s property, too?
I was having similar thoughts. Intriguing.
A 2x great-grandfather gave his son his best friend’s first name as a middle name, Moreau. That great-grandfather was so loved, my sister gave her son the name too. Now I’m curious about the history of the name Moreau. 📖
Alas, it’s a super common French name in Canada and in France. I think it’s one of the most common French surnames.
Oh, really? Huh. It's funny how you discover that what seems like a very unusual name turns out to be very common in a special location.
It’s not the French Smith (Martin) or Jones (Bernard), but more like the equivalent of Jackson or Wilson.
Ah... subtle. Great example as I've known many with names like Jackson or Wilson, too.
Another stunning story, Lisa!