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Alone in an Untamed Land - Dear Canada

The Filles du Roi Diary of Helene St. Onge - Montreal, Upper Canada, 1666

le 22 juin, 1666

I stood on deck and watched France disappear in the mist. Catherine stayed inside the ship, below, the captain calls it. But I had to watch. I may never see France again. I wept. My cheeks were damp with the mist and so I think no one saw. I did not care if they did. I only wished to be alone inside myself and let the image of France burn into my mind. Then I heard a sound. It was the Indian girl. She had come up on deck and now stood at the ship's rail near me. Her cheeks were as wet with tears as mine were. There was a difference, I soon learned from her. My tears were of loss, born from the idea of leaving France. Her tears were of joy. " I am going home," she said.

Young Helene St. Onge and her older sister Catherine are orphans. When King Louis XVI orders all men in New France to marry, Catherine becomes a fille du roi, one of the many young women sent to the new world as brides. Helene will accompany her on the long sea voyage and live with her sister's new family. But Catherine dies during the gruelling journey, and Helene finds herself alone in strange new country. New France is a far harsher place than she imagined, with bitter winters and the threat of attack from the Iroquois. Will the new friendships she has made on her long voyage enable her to survive?

Author	Maxine Trottier
Product Code	LB468
Ages	9-12
Length	224 pages
Publisher	Scholastic
Format	Hardcover, Black & White