This week I chose a book that turned out to be very difficult to read. “Daughter of the King” by Kerry Chaput is a historical novel set during the bloody Catholic suppression of Protestants in France. It is hard for us to imagine the absolute powerlessness of Protestants at this time.
Isabelle Collette’s family lived in La Rochelle for generations. Their strong Protestant faith has sustained them through many years of persecution, but now they face each day in fear. While most Huguenots do their best to avoid notice, Isabelle is different. She needs the freedom of the woods and fields and chooses to go out for supplies.
Her mother worries that Isabelle’s wild spirit will get them all killed. All too often she encounters Antoinette, the haughty daughter of the mayor. She endures Antoinette’s taunts with dreams of finding freedom. When Isabelle recklessly prevents the rape of young Catholic girl, she is confronted by James, a handsome soldier. He could have her arrested but is attracted to her.
When their worship service is attacked, Isabelle and her mother escape and attempt to walk to Rouen and safety. Isabelle is found near death on the steps of a Catholic church. Nuns nurse her back to health and find her a position as lady’s maid to Madame Dupre.
Isabelle seals her fate when she manages to kill the cruel Jacques Dupre when he tries to rape her. Her friends spirit her away and soon she must pay for her rescue. She must convert to Catholicism and travel to Canada as a “daughter of the king.” These women hold a special status but are expected to find a husband and raise families in the new colonies.
Sadly, Isabelle’s old nemesis, Antoinette, is also on the ship. She is to join her future husband, the mayor of the new colony. When Isabelle meets the fur trader Andre, she falls in love. But he is already married so they do their best to squelch their feelings. Amazingly, James, the young soldier, finds her and she enters a loveless marriage.
It is painfully obvious that Protestant persecution is still common, so once again they worship in secret not knowing who they can trust. The greater danger comes from the Mohawk tribes. They have learned the hard way not to trust the colonists and often raid outlying farms and settlements.
The mayor has established a small military unit with orders to stop the Mohawk uprising, but Andre learns that the mayor is planning to double-cross the soldiers. He expects the entire unit to be slaughtered, giving his personal troops free reign.
The grim finale hardens Isabelle’s decision to fight for religious freedom in her new home. She also understands that her faith is strong but has very little to do with any formal religion. Whatever comes, her wild spirit will see her through.
AT A GLANCE
Book: Daughter of the King (Defying the Crown, Book 1)
Author: Kerry Chaput
Publisher: Black Rose Rising
Year published: 2021
Number of pages: 248
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