Review: Wonderful characters and intriguing story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 7, 2013
This book was based on a famous 19th cent Italian story 'I Promessi Spossi' and it does have a flavour of an old style tale retold.  But the French Canadian setting is very different and unusual. It felt as if old France with its 'droit de seigneur' had transposed itself with ease, even to the colonies.  One cannot help but be glad the French Revolution put an end to such aristocratic arrogance. It's a great love story filled with trials and difficulties. Glad too to have a happy ending. I loved many of the characters and was intrigued by the varied contrasts between them, wondering if the author had done this on purpose or it had arisen naturally.  The cowardly priest, Pere Jean contrasted with the more saintly Pere Marc-Mathieu, the evil Seigneur Richard contrasted with the equally evil but eventually reformed Seigneur Claude, and then La Bonne Souer, a strange woman who yearns to be a nun but cannot be so as she is already marriedwho provides a contrast to the pure, faithful and lovely Emilie.  Emmanuelle, La Bonne Souer is a strange character and her scenes of depravity are peculiary jarring in this story, even seem out of context.  I have to agree with others they need not have been told so graphically as this seemed to detract in some way from such a beautifully written story, almost turning it into 50 Shades for a moment or two!  Here I felt the weight of that heavy Catholic guilt with its desire to punish the sinful, sexual body which troubled our Catholic ancestors long ago. I'm sure it no longer troubles modern Catholics, though I wouldn't be too sure even of that. This attitude did lead to some dark secrets in many a holy breast so in that respect, this was an interesting story line.All in all, this was a beautifully written book. Scenes of the plague, the Quebec riots were well depicted and gripping.  I felt very touched by the ending.  I'll remember this story for a long time to come.