Mills skillfully weaves historical events into the story. These include the French Revolution, a chance meeting with Napoleon in Paris, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. There is substance to the use of historical events. The characters' discussions of the issues facing Creoles and people of color before, during, and after the Civil War are frighteningly accurate. Louisiana introduced legislation, for example, to enslave for life any black, freeborn or freedman, who was convicted of the most inconsequential of crimes. The Creoles on the Isle saw Abraham Lincoln as a threat to their way of life, recognizing that he was not in favor of freeing all the slaves. They, as were many people in the South, were torn by the decision of their home states to secede from the Union. This novel accurately captures the agonizing decisions which tore families and communities apart.
Mills also provides copies of genuine documents which affected the very real lives of her characters. Documents include the baptism certificate of Claude Metoyer (1744), the manumission of Marie Louise (1795), and the suicide poem of Bernard Dauphine, as published in the New Orleans newspaper, Les Cennelles (1845). These documents effectively reinforce the conceit that Isle of Canes is a "faction." You can even visit Melrose, Louis Metoyer's "Big House," which was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975.
For those interested in learning more about the mores of the Old South and the roles played by people of color, this is an important introductory book. It provides in the pages of this novel, an excellent introduction to what is most often the untold "other history" of the time. There is very little available outside academic circles for those who are interested; however, a brief section of notes will lead the interested reader to the original sources for much of the material in the novel. Those interested in genealogical research may wish to consult www.myfamily.com.
For those interested in learning more about the mores of the Old South and the roles played by people of color, this is an important introductory book. It provides in the pages of this novel, an excellent introduction to what is most often the untold "other history" of the time. There is very little available outside academic circles for those who are interested; however, a brief section of notes will lead the interested reader to the original sources for much of the material in the novel. Those interested in genealogical research may wish to consult www.myfamily.com.
