The spirit and tradition of the Acadians are reborn in
Acadian Reminiscences. Beginning with his own childhood memories of a simple life, Felix Voorhies recounts his grandmother’s personal experiences, from her exile from Acadia in the mid-1700s to her journey to the New World and a new life in Louisiana.
Driven from her native land by the British, Voorhies’ grandmother laments the loss of her country, and through her vivid descriptions of a pastoral paradise unlike any other, she brings the Acadia of old back to life. The Acadians thrived in simplicity, and a strong sense of community created a family out of all the citizens in Acadia. Unlike other places in the world at the time, couples married for love in Acadia, and the grandmother retells the now-legendary story of Evangeline, who was separated from her fiancée during the Great Upheaval.
With tears in her eyes, the grandmother relives her grueling decision to leave her home behind. She remembers the crucial meeting of the colony’s elders and the inhumanity of the invading English soldiers. With no other choice, the grandmother arrives in Maryland and journeys south to the wildness of Louisiana to create a new Acadia, a Cajun country reborn.
About the Author
Felix Voorhies was born in St. Martinville, Louisiana, in 1839 and attended several universities, including Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. In 1860, Voorhies established a law practice in St. Martinville, but after the outbreak of the Civil War, he put his practice on hold and enlisted in the Confederate army. After the war, he resumed his work as a lawyer and went on to serve one term in the Louisiana House of Representatives. Voorhies died in 1919.
ACADIAN REMINISCENCES
By Felix Voorhies
116 pp. 5 x 8
5 b/w illus.
ISBN: 9781565544420 pb