It’s 1704 and sisters Genevieve and Aimee Gaillain escape religious oppression and intolerance in France by traveling to the New World. They have promised to marry a soldier in the territory of “Louisiane” as their price for freedom.
Beth White’s “The Pelican Bride” tells the story of the two sisters and the other women who came across the ocean for a new life; the Native American tribes who are fighting for their own independence while being wooed by the French and British; two brothers – Tristan and Marc-Antoine Lanier, one formerly connected to the French Command, and one currently; and the French and Canadian soldiers trying to keep the British and Spanish at bay while developing this new land for King Louis the XIV.
I don’t want to say much about the plot as it is full of twists and turns, love and hate, triumph and desperation, beauty and ugliness, godliness and lack thereof, and secrets – lots and lots of secrets. It seems almost every major character has some deep secret in their past.
For those who love a good love story, they’ll really enjoy “The Pelican Bride.” And neither will those who love historical fiction, particularly Native American history, the history of our nation’s colonization and French history, be disappointed. This book is jam packed with historical information set in a fictional tale.
Beth White also encourages us to look into the relationship between ourselves and our fellow man, no matter how “different” we may appear. We must seek the good in each other, and love one another as God loves us.
For those not as interested in an historical representation, this book may get a little bogged down at times, especially trying to keep all the characters straight.
Overall, this is a really great read. Four out of five stars.
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.