Alone in an untamed land: The filles du roi Diary of Hèléne St. Onge by Maxine Trottier, A Dear Canada Book

Trottier, M. (2003). Alone in an untamed land: The filles du roi Diary of Hèléne St. Onge. Dear Canada Series. Ontario, Canada: Scholastic Canada Ltd.

Summary

When her father dies in 1666, Hèléne St. Onge and her older sister Catherine, leave France to go to New France. Hèléne suffers many hardships on the boat including the death of her sister. She decides to take her sister’s place as a filles du roi, where when she finally ends her journey in Montreal, she will be asked to marry and start a family so that the population would grow in New France. Determined to marry on her terms, can 15 year old Hèléne find love in Canada’s frontier?

Advisory Information

-Themes:

a. Hardship of Life: Hèléne faces many difficulties, including the death of her immediate family, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean and life in rural Montreal.

b. Discrimination: Hèléne sees how the Native Inhabitants are treated especially those who associate with the Mohawk tribe.

c. Women’s Acceptance of Duty: It’s interesting how Hèléne accepts her role as a filles du roi. While she does expect to marry on her terms, she is willing to follow in her sister’s footsteps. Additionally, the way that Hèléne learns the household duties of a Canadian woman is also one of acceptance.

d. Canadian Landscape: The author does discuss the aspects of Montreal seasons. While she does point out the cold, she also reinforces some of the beauty in the natural environment. Hèléne finds much to enjoy including the spring, the rainbows, the trees, and so forth.

Age Recommendation:

I would consider this book appropriate for Intermediate Readers aged 8-13.

Other Information:

The book was written in journal format.

The author has provided the reader an enormous amount of information regarding some of the aspects of this story including: a glossary of both French and Mohawk words, a Historical Note, and pictures to emphasize some of the real people who lived and impacted New France in the 1600s.

Filles du roi is translated as "daughters of the king." In France, girls were sent to Canada as a sort of mail-order-bride with the intention to help populate New France. As "daughters of the king" these girls were given dowries by the monarchy and their passage paid for. It should be noted that this term did not imply any other royal connections or lineage.

Reaction:

I thought that this book provided an introductory example for young girls who are interested in learning the history of how Canada was populated during the 1600s. The book was an easy read; however, I was surprised that the author did not show more physical hardships for the main character Hèléne. While Hèléne does experiences emotional tragedies, Hèléne faces very few obstacles once she arrives in New France. While I did enjoy the book, perhaps the light treatment of Hèléne is due to the audience that Trottier is writing for.