An Author’s Fantasy, Kerry Chaput
An Author’s Fantasy, Kerry Chaput
Ever have the fantasy of discovering a long-lost family secret and jumping back in time to discover the truth? That was a little what it felt like to research and write Daughter of the King.
My one goal was to research my husband’s French-Canadian ancestry as a Christmas gift, to be able to tell him where in France his family emigrated from. I ended up tumbling down an exciting rabbit hole to track his family back to Julius Caesar and Constantine and the royal family of Brittany.
But the ones who grabbed my attention the most were a group of women in the late seventeenth century who were born in France but married in Quebec, with the image of a fleur-de-lis next to their names — they were called the “Daughters of the King.” A story began to take shape and it was almost too wild to believe. These young women left extreme poverty in France for a new life in Canada as founding members of the colony. The King offered them a chance to interview and choose their husbands, paid once married, and again with each child.
Several “Daughters of the King” on his mother’s side were from La Rochelle, a Huguenot stronghold on the western coast of France. These French Protestants were quite the rebels, withstanding harassment, torture, and death for the right to religious freedom. To become one of the King’s honorary daughters, any Protestants had to convert to Catholicism.
So, my protagonist came into focus, Isabelle Colette, a nineteen-year-old Huguenot, fighting to survive. But what would happen when she had nothing left and her only hope was to convert to the religion that killed her family and branded her with an H? All these questions led to more research and hours upon hours of reading college textbooks. As wonderful as the internet is for information, I found it difficult to find some of the more human details of life in 1661. How their clothes felt or how the light shined on the limestone arcades.
I found that to bring Isabelle’s world to life I needed both big picture information, such as why the Catholics were so intimidated by the Protestants, and personal details, like how communities baked bread in a communal oven. I read with horror of the different tactics to intimidate Protestants into conversion, knowing that to tell this story correctly, I had to include the ugly side of European history, not just the fascinating one. I believe pretty strongly that historical fiction authors have a responsibility not to water down our past, but instead face it, talk about it, and try to understand it.
The stories of these brave women who chose a new life in Canada are thoroughly documented as the records in Quebec are detailed and well preserved. I kept a journal of names, birth, and marriage dates, and even created a family album with each of the thirty-three “Daughters of the King” in my husband’s family line. They fascinated me enough to research this book for over two years. Imagine, orphans in the seventeenth century plucked from utter poverty and hopelessness, the King offering money, a dowry, clothing, passage, protection, and power? I started to feel connected to them on a spiritual level, bringing Isabelle to life.
Once in Quebec, these women held interviews, like an old-world version of speed dating, where they chose their husbands from the group of settlers. They determined when and how marriage would look and were even married by a notary instead of in the church, so they could break the marriage contract if they were unsatisfied. Now, that has all the makings of a mind-blowing story if you ask me. The kind of story I needed to write.
This book took me across two continents, a sea voyage, colonial life with the fascinating Native communities in and around Quebec, and a religious journey of one nineteen-year-old desperate to determine her own future. I lived and fought alongside Isabelle, watched her fall in love, and risk everything to find her strength. And now for book two, I’ll begin researching her new life in Quebec, as a fierce young woman who made difficult choices but whose fire has never left.
Daughter of the King is book one of the Defying the Crown series. There is still so much to discover about these pioneers who changed the face of North America. While our history books so often focus on men and war and empires, this author will be writing about the women who lived through it all.
—
Kerry’s Bio:
Born in California wine country, Kerry Chaput began writing shortly after earning her Doctorate degree. Her love of storytelling began with a food blog and developed over the years to writing historical fiction novels. Raised by a teacher of US history, she has always been fascinated by tales from our past and is forever intrigued by the untold stories of brave women. She lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon with her husband, two daughters, and two rescue pups. She can often be found on hiking trails or in coffee shops. To learn more, connect with her at www.kerrywrites.com or Twitter @ChaputKerry.
—
Links:
Kerry’s website: https://www.kerrywrites.com
Daughter of the King Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58738195
Bookshop.org link: https://bookshop.org/books/daughter-of-the-king-9781684338375/9781684338375
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Defying-Crown-Kerry-Chaput/dp/1684338379
Kerry’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaputkerry
Black Rose Writing (Publisher) site: https://www.blackrosewriting.com/historicaladventure/daughteroftheking?rq=kerry%20chaput
Daughter Of The King
La Rochelle France, 1661. Fierce Protestant Isabelle is desperate to escape persecution by the Catholic King. Isabelle is tortured and harassed, her people forced to convert to the religion that rules the land. She risks her life by helping her fellow Protestants, which is forbidden by the powers of France. She accepts her fate – until she meets a handsome Catholic soldier who makes her question everything.
Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
