Promises We Keep by Genevieve Graham Book Review

Goodreads Summary:An 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.

My rating:4/5 stars

Disclaimer:I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Plot:

Despite the fact that I’ve been learning about Canadian history since like grade four,there’s still a lot of things I don’t know.I had heard about the Acadians but I didn’t much about them or what was done to them, so this book was a great way to learn some interesting things.I really want to read some more Canadian historical fiction as the only ones I have read are this one and The Book Negroes.

Not knowing much about the Acadians and their history, I can’t attest to the accuracy but I’m pretty sure that the author did a lot of research before writing this book.The author was able to describe the setting really well and really made me understand exactly what was happening. I had no idea what the English had done to the Acadians so it was really interesting to read about.

Another thing that made this book enjoyable was the writing. I’m not a huge fan of books set in a time era a really long time ago, but the simplicity of the writing style made it really easy to submerge myself in the story.

Characters:

One thing I love in historical fiction novels are strong females who defy the social norms and fight for what’s right.Amelie was exactly that sort of character and it was really great to see.I’m still not sure how I feel about the love interest, because while I really enjoyed their personality and backstory, I found it was little insta-lovey but then again it’s like the 1700s so who am I to judge.

I really liked the connection between Amelie and her family, and found everything that they went through to be so tragic, and there were a lot of moments that had me tearing up.I especially like Amelie’s brother’s and father. Graham was really able to capture the struggle of the Acadians and I think she did a great job in showing all the hardships.

One thing that I really liked was the friendship between the Acadians and the native americans. I didn’t really know the extent of their relationship so it was really interesting to read about it.

Do you have any Canadian Historical Fiction recommendations?