It’s almost time for the next session of the MFA Book Club held monthly at the Halifax Public Library!
Join us November 22, at 7 p.m. (AST) as Director of Writing and Publishing, Gillian Turnbull, discusses Acadian Driftwood: One Family and the Great Expulsion with author Tyler LeBlanc, MFA’14 at the BMO Room at the Halifax Public Library.
Growing up on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Tyler LeBlanc wasn’t fully aware of his family’s Acadian roots — until a chance encounter with an Acadian historian prompted him to delve into his family history. LeBlanc’s discovery that he could trace his family all the way back to the time of the Acadian Expulsion and beyond forms the basis of this compelling account of Le Grand Dérangement.
Piecing together his family history through archival documents, LeBlanc tells the story of Joseph LeBlanc (his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather), Joseph’s ten siblings and their families. With descendants scattered across modern-day Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the LeBlancs provide a window into the diverse fates that awaited the Acadians when they were expelled from their homeland. Some escaped the deportation and were able to retreat into the wilderness. Others found their way back to Acadie. But many were exiled to Britain, France, or the future United States, where they faced suspicion and prejudice and struggled to settle into new lives. A unique biographical approach to the history of the Expulsion, Acadian Driftwood is a vivid insight into one family’s experience of this traumatic event.
Tyler’s book is available for purchase at the King’s Co-op Bookstore or to borrow at the Halifax Public Library.
