French-born Genevieve Gaillain and her sister Aimee board the Pelican as mail order brides in 1704, to escape persecution in France and find new life in the New World. Both have promised to marry a Canadian, but upon reaching their destination, they find the scrawny, rustic men are much different than their imaginings. The settlement is primitive, at best, and both struggle to carve out a home in this wilderness. Genevieve wishes for peace to worship in her own way, but when she falls in love with the mysterious Tristan Lanier, a man who has made enemies of the Crown, peace may be further off than she envisioned. And the secret she harbors may hurt others as well as destroy the very colony itself. Tristan works to keep the colony safe from nearby tensions with the British, Spanish, and Native Americans even as he and Genevieve realize the enemy may be within their own walls.
The Pelican Bride reads at a fast pace, the tale bursting with mystery and suspense over the motives and actions of each character. The intricate plot is full of fascinating historical detail and the setting and time period of the story is interesting, especially since it is a less commonly written era. There are many character names to process, however, so the reader must pay close attention in order to not be lost along the way. Overall, the novel contains realistic scenarios that include people struggling to carve out a home and life in the vast New World among the political and religious dangers lurking in the shadows. Genevieve’s sister is frustrating in her selfishness, but the lessons learned by all create a relatively good ending to the story. On the whole, the novel is exciting and a worthy read.
I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
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