Bride of New France

A Novel

By: Suzanne Desrochers

Narrated by: Emma Bering

“Bride of New France is the best piece of historical fiction I’ve read in a long time.” –Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, New Brunswick)

Laure Beauséjour has grown up in a dormitory in Paris surrounded by prostitutes, the insane, and other forgotten women. Despite numerous hardships, she dreams of using her needlework skills to become a seamstress and one day marry a nobleman. But in 1669, Laure’s dreams are cruelly dashed when she is sent across the Atlantic to New France as a fille du roi. Powerful and haunting, Bride of New France is a remarkable tale of a French girl and her struggle to survive in a brutal time and place.

Critic reviews

"a wholly original example of social history at its best" - John Barber, The Globe and Mail

“a fully imagined but deeply grounded novel” - John Barber, The Globe and Mail

“Bride of New France will not silence critics of the new social history, nor is it meant to. But if they do want to bring the past alive for a new generation, as they typically claim, they could never find a text more likely to engage the minds and imaginations of young people, especially girls, who have grown immune to the conventional narratives.” - John Barber, The Globe and Mail

“A moody, beautiful piece of historical fiction.” - Dana Medoro, Winnipeg Free Press

"A haunting story of a courageous young woman." - Kathleen Grissom, author of the bestselling The Kitchen House

Loved it!

The narrator was awesome! I went for long walks so I could listen more. Really great audiobook.

Hauntingly beautiful!

I was captivated from beginning to end. I am an American of French Canadian ancestry. I loved the story, the characters and the truthful look at the courage of these young women coming to a strange world.

Great book

Would recommend this book to anyone especially females who likes history and also a wonderful story.

Hard life in a new land

Any additional comments?

My sister recommended this book to me, I was not going to listen to it as I read a negative review. So glad I didn't listen to the review.

I didn’t feel inspired

Overall, I guess the author was good…but I never liked any of the characters! I can’t believe she went back and did all that research and then decided where she wanted to go with it was to make a strong female character by making one that was angry all the time and had no morals. She spent more time describing skirt lifting than making me feel the era. You want something similar but better? Read Mrs. Mike. She may not be a fille de roi, but similar marriage in the cold north and she was so likable. Can’t say I’ll be recommending this to anyone.