The Seamstress of Acadie

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 436 ratings

Price: 18.8

Last update: 12-24-2024


About this item

In a land torn apart by conflict, can love mend the tattered pieces?

As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada’s Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family—French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral—are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America’s borderlands.

As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin.

Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William’s, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the present and forge an enduring future.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Theresa Sanders
    5.0 out of 5 stars In a Word… Graceful
    Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024
    I fell in love with Laura Frantz’s lovely writing last spring with the first book of hers I’d read, THE ROSE AND THE THISTLE. Since then, I’ve been happily exploring her backlist, and at each novel’s end, I try to determine what it is about this author’s work that so captivates me. What comes to mind time and again is the word Graceful. “Grace” is derived from Old French, originally meaning “God’s favor or help.” To me, that perfectly defines Laura’s writing: a God-ordained gift, endeavored through faith, and surely divinely inspired.

    Which brings me to her recent offering, THE SEAMSTRESS OF ACADIE. In typical Frantz fashion, SEAMSTRESS is filled with lush description and an intriguing plot based on outstanding research, schooling me on an event about which I sadly knew nothing, the horrific expulsion in 1755 of the people of Acadie (now Nova Scotia). The book’s stitch-by-stitch pacing grants readers time to truly reside inside the characters’ lives: their joys, their tragedies, their triumphs. Sylvie is French, a native Acadian. She is an endearing combination of gentleness and strength, as tender as her beloved apple blossoms, as fierce as an Acadian winter. Will possesses an inherent kindness, a quiet courage, torn between loyalty to the English, for whom he’s commanded a Ranger squadron, and empathy for the Acadians. Theirs is a forbidden love, and its sweet unfolding against the backdrop of war is enchanting to read. I would be amiss if I didn’t also mention Sylvie’s brother Bleu, who made me smile each time he appeared and whose story I hope might be told in a sequel.

    The depth and beauty of this novel, as in all of Ms. Frantz’s works, is pure reading delight, poetry in storytelling motion. It is, in a word… Graceful, and I can’t wait to be drawn into her next literary adventure.
  • Nicole S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another AMAZING Story by Laura Frantz...I Highly Recommend This Book!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
    The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz made me sad. Don’t get me wrong — I agree with all the critics and reviewers who say that Frantz is a wordsmith and that this is her best book yet. The settings are superbly illustrated. I felt like I was in Acadie and Virginia in the 1750s. I could feel the weather; the intense, frigid winter in Acadie, and the oppressive, humid spring in Virginia. I could smell the smells of the apple blossoms in Acadie, and the chocolate in Esmee’s shop in Virginia. The historical detail is impeccable. I learned so much history I’ve never been taught before. I’ve never heard of Acadie, and the atrocities against these people absolutely broke my heart and made me angry. The characters in this novel are perfectly crafted. Sylvie is a wonderful heroine. She is Loveliness personified. And she is so strong. I don’t know if I could be as strong after having gone through all the nightmares she goes through in this story. Will is the best kind of hero. He is tall, dark, and handsome. He is rugged, intelligent, and capable. If Sylvie is Loveliness personified, then Will is Kindness personified. I loved this about him the most — his deeply kind and compassionate heart. Will would give you the shirt off his back if he knew you needed it. I wish more people were kind like Will. In addition to the main characters being outstanding, Frantz treats us readers to cameo appearances by characters from A Heart Adrift and some of the most endearing secondary characters ever. It was so much fun seeing Esmee and her sister, and Lord Drysdale and Henri Lennox again. And I absolutely loved Henrietta, Nolan, Eve, and Eulalie. Seriously such great characters!

    If you’ve read this far, you might be asking yourself, “How did this book make you sad? It basically sounds like you loved it.” Well, that’s a good question. I did love this book SO much. It touched my heart deeply and, like all Frantz’s previous novels, will stick with me LONG after the final page has turned. But it did make me sad. I am so sick of the evil in this world. As I was reading The Seamstress of Acadie I couldn’t help but notice the many similarities between our current world today. In this book, the villains are bad. In our world, the villains are equally as bad. In both periods, people are self-focused, self-centered, and self-serving. Kindness is a rarity, not the norm. Seeing people as people is a rarity, not the norm. Stealing, hurting, hating, and mistreating apparently are no biggies. Whatever one wants, one gets. Reading whole scenes in The Seamstress of Acadie felt like reading excerpts from today’s news articles. The clothes, the food, and the amenities may be different in this story, but the heart of the people is the same and it made me really sad. But I won’t stay sad because Frantz ends her story with love and hope, so I will walk away from this story choosing to focus on love and hope rather than all that makes me sad.

    The Seamstress of Acadie is a seriously outstanding story. It is a story that pulls the reader’s heartstrings. It is a story that teaches reader’s history that should never be forgotten. And it is a story that readers won’t soon forget. I highly, highly recommend this impeccable story. This is a book you do not want to miss.

    I received an eBook copy of this novel from the publisher, Revell, via NetGalley in order to read and review. I also purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on October 4, 2023. In no way has any of this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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