Evangeline and The Acadians

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"Originally published in 1957, the book has an old-fashioned flavor . . . Tallant, who has written extensively about Louisiana's history, writes a sympathetic, factual account of the history and culture of the people we now know as Cajuns . . ." --Children's Literature

Readers familiar with Longfellow's poem Evangeline can find an expanded and historically accurate account of the Acadians' plight in the novel Evangeline and the Acadians. Robert Tallant's sympathetic pen brings to life the Acadians' painful search for a land of freedom, hope, and love. When the unwelcome British came to Nova Scotia and took over this land the French colonists called "Acadia," faith and loyalty were continually tested. Marriages between the Acadians and British were not outlawed but despised, and eventually Acadian parents punished any child caught speaking English.

Under British authority in 1775, the first fathers and brothers were ripped mercilessly away from their female family members and shipped off as exiles. For years, bands of displaced and weary Acadians wandered in search of a haven for French-speaking people. Many found that haven in Louisiana.