Paradise

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful young adult historical novel.
Review: Sixteen-year-old Marguerite de La Rocque lives in a strict Huguenot household in France in 1542. She is in love with a young man named Pierre, but they can never marry because he is catholic. When Marguerite's father tells her that she will be part of her uncle's colony in the desolate new world of Canada, she at least feels hope, because in the wilderness, she and Pierre might find a way to be together. Pierre has found a way to join the expedition, and Marguerite is accompanied by her maid, Damienne, who is more friend than servant. So though she fears the wild new land their ship is sailing for, she knows she won't be alone. All goes well until after they arrive in Canada, when Marguerite's uncle discovers she and Pierre have become lovers. Furious, he has Marguerite and Damienne abandoned on a desolate island known as the Isle of Demons. Pierre manages to join them, but will friendship, faith, love, and determination to survive be enough to keep the three alive in this desolate wilderness? I highly recommend this book to young adults who enjoy historical fiction. It's a wonderful story of friendship, love, and courage.