Banished from Our Home

Banished from Our Home
Book no.	11
Series	Dear Canada
Author	Sharon Stewart
Publisher	Scholastic Canada
Published	September 1, 2004
Pages	224
ISBN	9780439974219
Setting	Grand-Pré, Acadia Baltimore, Maryland
Timeline	May 1755 – January 1756
Preceded by
Chronology	Winter of Peril
Publication	A Trail of Broken Dreams
Followed by
Chronology	The Death of My Country
Publication	Winter of Peril

Our dear familiar world is dead. It was killed by the British two days ago. Perhaps it would be kinder if they killed all of us too. We have been so terrified that all we could do is cling together and weep. We are still numb with fear.

—Angélique Richard

Banished from Our Home: The Acadian Diary of Angélique Richard is the eleventh entry in the Dear Canada series. It was published in September 2004 by Scholastic Canada. The book was written by Sharon Stewart and remains her only book in the series. It was followed by Jan Andrews' Winter of Peril.

Acadian Angélique Richard lives with her family in Grand-Pré until the forced removal of her people in 1755.

Dedication

"To the memory of my mother, Lucille Agathe Lépine, whose Acadian heritage is the inspiration for this story. And to Roderick, for all the reasons."

Book description

• Original
• French

"le 7 mai, 1755
Victor is gone! He and Papa had a terrible quarrel yesterday. I heard their shouting clear out to the henhouse. Even les Terreurs, who were making mud-pies in the yard, stopped to listen. When I got back, I found Papa and Victor very red in the face. Maman was sitting bolt upright beside the hearth, knitting furiously. This alarmed me more than anything. She never sits down in the daytime. Sausage was carding wool in the corner. Her big blue eyes were as wide as butter-skimmers, and brimming with tears. Sausage is so soppy! She cannot bear quarrels.
Papa shouted that Victor will put us all in danger from the British. Victor shouted back that we are already in danger. That Governor Lawrence hates us because he wants our land for pudding-faced settlers from New England. That we have to do something, not just sit and wait to be driven like a flock of sheep."

"Le 7 mai 1755
Victor est parti! Papa et lui se sont affreusement disputés, hier. Je les entendais crier jusque dans le poulailler où je me trouvais. Même les deux terreurs, qui étaient en train de jouer dans le sable au milieu de la cour, se sont arrêtées pour écouter. Quand je suis revenue à la maison, j'ai vu papa et Victor étaient tous les deux rouges de colère. Maman était assise toute raide sur sa chaise, au coin du feu, en train de tricoter avec frénésie. C'est ce qui m'a le plus inquiétée. Elle ne prend jamais le temps de s'asseoir durant la journée. Dans un coin, Saucisse cardait de la laine. Ses grands yeux bleus étaient ronds comme des soucoupes et pleins de larmes. Quelle braillarde! Elle ne supporte pas les chicanes.
Papa a crié à Victor qu'il allait tous nous mettre en danger face aux Anglais. Victor lui a répondu, en criant tout autant, que nous sommes déjà en danger. Que le gouverneur Lawrence nous déteste parce qu'il veut s'emparer de nos terres pour les redonner aux colons à face de lune qui arrivent de la Nouvelle-Angleterre. Et que nous devons agir, au lieu de rester plantés là à attendre qu'on nous emmène comme un troupeau de moutons."

Plot

In May 1755, twelve-year-old Angélique Richard sees her older brother Victor speaking to the rebel Beausoleil Broussard. The Richards are Acadians of French descent living in Grand-Pré, which is now British territory. Victor believes that they should fight the British, but their father Michel disagrees. After an argument, Victor leaves to join Beausoleil. Despite the situation, the Richards make sure that Catherine's wedding is a happy day. After Catherine moves out, Angélique misses her dearly since their mother Madeleine is "prickly" and she does not get along with her younger sister Cécile "Belle". Angélique has four other siblings, the kind Claude, troublemaker Zachary, and twins Marie-Josèphe and Josèph-Marie, called "Les Terreurs."

The British begin restricting the Acadians way of life. Angélique's father is among the men to sign a petition for Governor Lawrence to restore their rights to use their boats and guns. The petition infuriates the governor, whom orders the men to report to Halifax. Michel departs in late June. During her father's absence, Angélique starts to reflect on herself and resolves to get along with Belle. Several days later, the Richards receive word that Michel and the other men are imprisoned. They refused to sign an oath "promising to take up arms against the French." In late July, Victor comes home for a short visit and bids them a final "Adieu." In late August, troops from New England headed by Colonel Winslow arrive.

Angélique's friend Jeremy Witherspoon, a drummer boy for the British Army, later warns her that "something dreadful is going to happen." In September, all the men and boys over age ten are ordered to report to the church where they are imprisoned. Jeremy explains to Angélique that the British plan to deport the Acadians and are holding the men hostage until more ships arrive. The men are eventually moved onto the ships. Claude and some other prisoners escape later on. Angélique locates Claude and tries to convince him to return. Back home, Angélique discovers the farm empty and rushes to the shore, where the Acadians are being forced onto ships. Thanks to Jeremy, Angélique reunites with most of her family on the Leynord.

Over the following days, the Richards are joined on the ship by Zachary and Claude. Angélique's grandmother, Mémère, passes away soon after they set sail. Aboard the ship, Angélique's rivalry with Jehanne Melanson begins to thaw and their families become closer. The ship reaches Annapolis, Maryland in early December. The Richards are housed there by a kind woman, Mistress Finnerty. Belle, whom fell sick on the ship, dies on December 13. The Richards move on to Baltimore, where a man named Andrew Stygar helps some Acadians relocate to an abandoned home. Angélique finds a job and the family settles into a routine. Just as trouble occurs with the twins, Michel arrives in Baltimore to the joy of his family.

Epilogue

In Baltimore, Michel obtained work through his carpentry skills, while Claude and Zachary assisted him. Madeleine, Jehanne, and Madame Melanson set up a laundry together. Meanwhile, Angélique went from scullery maid to head parlour maid. At the end of the war, the Richards and Melansons joined other Acadians returning to Acadia. After reaching St. John River, the Richards learned that all of the Acadians' land had been resettled by the British. Together with the Melansons, they headed farther up the river to start a new farm. They were eventually joined by Victor, whom had been imprisoned by the British and let go after the war. He and Claude worked on the farm for the rest of their lives and never married.

Angélique and Jehanne became true friends after their families became neighbors. Jehanne later married François Daigle, a distant relative of Madeleine's and had children. Angélique refused marriage until Marie-Josèphe was old enough to help their mother. She then married Jean-Baptiste Melanson, whom had long been in love with her. They had six children, including a daughter named Cécile after her sister. Angélique passed down her diary to her children. At age eighty-seven, she died a year before Jean-Baptiste in 1830. Marie-Josèphe lived on the family farm after her own marriage. Madeleine, whom had felt poorly since the return journey, died in 1770 and Michel followed in 1775.

Historical Note

In 1605, the French colony of Port-Royal was founded. Acadians, whom are descended from the first French settlers, gradually settled in new locations, such as Grand-Pré. The British gained control of Port-Royal in 1710. As part of the Treaty of Utrecht, the British were granted the colony and the surrounding land known as Nova Scotia. However, the western boundary was left unclear and the French presence continued in the area. The Acadians initially refused to sign an oath of loyalty to the British, feeling that they "had a right to live in peace" and "wished to stay neutral in any future war." In 1730, the Acadians signed an oath of allegiance that did not require them to fight France if war occurred.

After fighting the French during much of the 1740s, the British began to feel that the Acadians were a danger to nearby Halifax. In 1755, the Acadians refused to sign an unconditional oath, feeling that they had already demonstrated their loyalty. The same year, the first of the deportations took place. The Acadians were sent away on overcrowded ships in terrible conditions to ports along the North American coast. In most cases, they were not welcomed at their destinations. After the Seven Years' War, some Acadians travelled back to their old lands, which had been resettled by British colonists. Many more Acadians found their way to Louisiana, where their descendants are known today as Cajuns.

Today, the culture and language of the Acadians remains strong. The Acadian World Congress was held in Nova Scotia in 2004 to mark the four hundredth anniversary of the French settlement. The section includes eleven pictures, an excerpt from Governor Lawrence's deportation proclamation, two maps, and a glossary of some of the French words used in the book. Two photographs were contributed by the author's cousin, François Gaudet.

Characters

Main article: List of Banished from Our Home characters

• Angélique Richard, a twelve-year old living on her family's farm in Grand-Pré. In 1755, she faces hardship when the Acadians, including her family, are forcibly deported by the British.
• Cècile "Belle" Richard is Angélique's younger sister whom she calls "Sausage." The two sisters are often at odds, but eventually come to understand each other.

Author

Main article: Sharon Stewart

Sharon Stewart is a Canadian writer and editor. She is known for her historical fiction novels, The Princess in the Tower and The Last Duchess, and her fantasy Raven Quest. Banished from Our Home is Stewart's only work for Dear Canada, excepting a short story in A Season for Miracles. Stewart is descended from Acadians on her mother's side. Her research for Banished from Our Home allowed her to learn more about her family. She discovered a descendant named Angélique Richard, whose named she used for the book's main character. Stewart also based Angélique's personality partially on her mother's.

Editions

• Physical
• eBook

Adieu, ma patrie
French edition
9780439961370
(September 2004)

Banished from Our Home
Dear Canada eBook
B078H7TK34
(May 2016)

Adieu, ma patrie
French eBook
B078H9NL24
(November 2012)

Awards

• Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Starred Selection (2005) - commended

Acknowledgements

"Thanks to Barbara Hehner for her careful checking of the manuscript, and to Dr. Neil Bouchard, Vice-president Academic and former Professor of Acadian History at Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia, for generously sharing his expertise."

Notes

• The portrait on the cover is a detail of the 1862 painting Portrait of a Girl by Otto Jacobi. The background is a detail of Claude Picard's 1986 painting Le départ vers l'exil, 1755.

External links

• Banished from Our Home at Scholastic Canada
• Banished from Our Home at Scholastic Canada (French)
• Banished from Our Home Discussion Guide at Scholastic Canada
• Banished from Our Home at Teaching Books