It’s 1754 and as the year is coming to a close, tensions are extremely high between the French and the British on the Canada’s Acadian shore. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family wish to remain neutral but are caught in the middle. With their land sitting in between two rival forts, staying neutral is not an easy accomplishment. It’s a difficult time to celebrate Noël with talk of war looming among the locals. William Blackburn, a British Army Ranger, isn’t helping the situation. British ships begin to appear on the horizon, and when Sylvie comes in contact with William Blackburn, he confirms that the invasion is imminent. Sylvie must not only protect herself and her family, but also the Acadians and their land.

The Seamstress of Acadie written by Laura Frantz is a phenomenal story. Frantz does an amazing job of transporting the reader to the Canadian shores of Acadie. With the brilliant description of the shores, to the aroma of the apple blossoms, to the beautiful landscape, I felt as if I was living in Acadie. Sylvie is a wonderful and inspiring heroine who felt like family and a close personal friend. I loved everything about Henrietta, Nolan, and Eulalie as well. They were lovable and fantastic characters that kept me flying through the pages. I learned so much from this story, a time period and a location that I was unfamiliar with. This heartbreaking story had so many similarities with the way things are in the world today, with wars and unrest. This unputdownable book is one that is on the top of my “best books I’ve ever read” list. This amazing story is one that is a must read for all historical fiction fans. This is definitely a story I will never forget. It deserves way more than five stars. I highly recommend it.

Laura Frantz never disappoints her readers. She is my favorite author. She does her research well which I know takes up a whole lot of time before she begins writing the book. I love her books of the frontier days, pioneer days, Native Americans ETC. I love anything that she writes, but this book in particular left a warm spot in my heart. The people of Acadie in Canada were driven from their homes, some murdered if they would not leave. Just because they wanted their lands and orchards. They were herded onto ships and dispersed elsewhere much like slaves. With these in this story they placed them in Virginia. Many died on the ships on the way, ill treated, little food and sickness. The heroine in the story lost her mother and sibling aboard the ship. This is a book of sadness, but a story that needed to be told…..My husband’s ancestors hail from Acadiana in Louisiana known as “Cajun French” I was able to research his lineage to Nova Scotia where the Acadie people were from. All the way to the Mi’kmaq Indians from which his ancestry began along with the French Canadians. To me this is so interesting as the Heroine had a half brother who was Mi’kmaq on his mother’s side. This brother was very special to her and loved above the others. This is such an interesting book as all of Frantz’s books are. I look forward to the next book of hers. It is hard to wait patiently….Thanks to the author and the publisher for granting me the privilege to read this early copy and I am most thankful to leave my review

This has been labeled a historical romance, the romance piece doesn't really feel like it enters until the final 1/3 of the novel, so I would label it historical fiction. As far as historical fiction goes, I loved that it focuses on a unique place and time in history that I have never read or learned about before. The first half of the novel was actually my favorite part for that reason. This part of the novel felt really fleshed out, and the plot and characters were super interesting to me. When the story moved to Virginia, the plot felt like it really slowed down, and started to drag a little, but then the last 20% picked back up again. I really enjoyed the Galant family and their obvious love and care for one another!

I could literally taste the research that went into this novel. The setting... goodness... I felt like I was actually in 1754. The words carried me into the Acadian homes, had me tasting the apple cider from their orchards, and feeling the cold bite of winter and the splash of frigid waves. The word choices were suburb, and the language used was completely on point for that time and era. I really appreciated the delicate use of French throughout the novel, as it paid a wonderful homage to the roots of the Acadians.



I picked up this book because it is about Canada's Acadians, and the brutal history they were forced to be part of when the French and English destroyed their lives. This story is heartbreaking, truthful ... but also beautiful. I am so glad Laura Frantz decided to weave a novel into this difficult setting. Her cast of characters told the story wonderfully. Blue in all his espionage and war prowess, Pere and his role in Acadie, Sylvie’s sweet sister… I honestly felt like I was there, living the story with them. Sylvie, our heroine, is enchanting, and Blackburn had me nearly swooning from the first mention of him on the page. He is a worthy hero.



Thank-you to Revell Reads for an opportunity to review this book.

Another book of Laura Frantz that I love. The details of history fascinates me. I have read a couple books that was located in Acadie and I knew some things about it. A terrible time in history and an emotional experience for so many of the people. This author’s books always move me emotionally because I get close to the characters and end up loving them. I loved Sylvie, Will and Bleu. It’s hard to read the last page of a wonderful book.
A little romance, intrigue and history. How can you go wrong with a book like this, unless you do not like historical events at all?
If you’ve never read a Laura Frantz book, you are missing out.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars

Oh, my heart! As can be expected from a Laura Frantz novel, this story took me on a WHOLE journey. Like the characters, I was not the same from beginning to end. Somewhere in this story that gripped my heart, I changed.

Before reading, I had no knowledge of the Acadian people and their history. I spent the majority of the book being heartbroken and shocked. As a fair warning, though there is light and redemption and hope, this is a heavier read for most of the book in my opinion. I wasn't prepared. As an emotional cheesepuff, it made it difficult to show up to read it at times. But I'm so grateful I pressed through the hard stuff because this story is worth telling.

Though I loved William and Sylvie, I do wish there had been a little more development in the beginning for their connection. However, I was still invested and I loved every moment they shared the page together.

AND BLEU. Love him. Cue the heart eye emojis. Laura, if you're listening, we need his story ASAP. Please and thank you.

All in all, fans will enjoy another great romance steeped in rich historical detail. Don't miss this one, friends!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley. All expressed opinions belong to me.

I honestly did not expect this book to impact me the way it did. I have read many Christian historical romances and they're not all built the same. I should've known better than to chalk this one up to all the others, though. Because Laura Frantz knows how to pull the heartstrings.

One of my favorite things about this book is that Frantz did her homework. The setting of this story starts in Acadie, Canada--what we now know, in part, as parts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The Acadians were a peaceful people who were, unfortunately, stuck between a pissing contest between the English and French. Even with their French roots, they did their best to remain neutral--with the exception of some rebels. 

However, just as others have been historically displaced from their homes for no particular reason, the Acadians were forced from their land by the British when they wouldn't side with them in the war. To many of their detriment, they were rounded up, stuffed onto ships, and sent to the colonies--but not before many of them died from shipwreck, diseases, etc...

This story was a beautifully, heartbreaking tale of one woman, Sylvie, who was torn from her entire family and ended up in Virginia with almost nothing to her name. 

I was struck by the needless pain that Sylvie went through due to the human affliction of greed. Because that's all it amounted to. And once Sylvie made it out of Acadie alive, she was forced to endure the people's' prejudice of being Acadian. 

At its heart, this is a love story. But it was also a story of tragedy and rebuilding. There are elements of "Christianity". However, it's never anything more than a character's desire to find something to lean on and help her get through her pain. I appreciated it because it showed resilience in Sylvie's character, but also how her humanness was something she fought... Trying not to be as cold-hearted as those who did her harm. 

This is a story that I will remember for a long time to come. And it really inspired me to learn more about the Acadians and what they endured.

This was a beautiful novel. I loved learning a piece of history I didn't know and getting to know the richly drawn characters. I've been disappointed by some of Laura Frantz's recent books, but this is the Laura Frantz I know and love!

Un livre merveilleux! A wonderful book!
I really enjoyed this story and the journey that Sylvie had to take to get to Orchard Rest.

“Laura Frantz has written yet another historical masterpiece!
Laura Frantz’s The Seamstress of Acadie is an historical fiction set in the 1970s in both Canada and the United States of America. Meet Sylvie Galant, a talented young French seamstress living with her parents and siblings in Baie Française, Acadie in Canada. Rumours of war between the French and English seems to cast a shadow on her idyllic life. William Blackburn is a US ranger who is given a life changing assignment by the English government. The realization of these rumours has Sylvie torn from her home, her family and eventually taken to Williamsburg, Virginia.
A woman battered and bereaved must learn to start life afresh in a new country among new people. Readers of Laura Frantz’s Heart’s Adrift will get the opportunity to meet beloved characters like Esmee Shaw and Captain Lennox. Journey with Sylvie has she learns to restore her faith in her God, find love and settle in a new land.
The themes of hope, faith and romance are very strong in this novel. Laura Frantz as always has done a great job with a thoroughly researched novel. The Seamstress of Acadie is the kind of novel to read when one needs a reminder of the goodness God even when all things fall apart. I will encourage fans of Laura Frantz and people new to this author to read this novel as they will not be disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion."

I struggled so much to love this book. In my opinion, the first 50% of the book was incredibly slow. I did appreciate learning about the history of the Acadians and some of the conflict in Canada in the 1700's. However, the book was hard to be fully invested in. I wasn't the right reader for this book.

Did you read The Rose and the Thistle? It was my first introduction to this author and I was mesmerized. I finally understood the hype. Laura Frantz is also the author of this new release. It’s equally superb and features Canadian history.

You’ll be swept back to 1754 and the rugged coast of Nova Scotia to be introduced to Sylvie Galant and her Acadian family. This industrious family is caught between the warring French and English. Their land, Acadie, has been a source of conflict since its founding in 1604 and Franz has captured what it means to be Acadian and displaced.

I enjoyed reading about this Acadian family, their lifestyle, and their traditions. I could imagine sitting sipping pine needle tea from an old Mi’kmaq recipe and nibbling on cinnamon pastries made from tourtiere dough. What I couldn’t imagine, though, was the tension they continuously lived through, knowing every day that their way of life was at risk. Is today the day?

The emotions Franz has elicited in writing about Sylive and William’s first meeting are powerful. I had an instant connection with my husband, too. I just knew. I appreciated the predicament she was in, knowing William’s on the opposite side of the tension; essentially, the enemy to her people.

The softening of William Blackburn’s heart is beautiful, the references to the Pandora or Fashion Babies were fascinating and Sophie’s journey in learning to trust God was wonderfully written.

I appreciated how her seamstress skills are what allow Sophie to navigate her future with all its unknowns. I can’t imagine crossing in one of those coffin ships and starting all over again in a new ‘home’. There were tough parts to her journey and I appreciated the author’s honest examination of the Acadian’s experience.

“You don’t just sew, you go beyond and create beauty amid simplicity.”

The themes of love, loss, trust, allegiance, and new beginnings are wonderfully highlighted in Franz’s narrative. I enjoyed the reminder that somewhere in the middle of all our anguish and heartache is beauty. It’s waiting to be discovered and has the opportunity to help us refocus, re-aim, and forge ahead.

I was graciously gifted this ARC post-publication and was under no obligation to provide a review.

With memorable heroines and admirable heroes, fascinating plotlines, and engaging prose that wraps everything together into a heartfelt, submersive whole, each book by Laura Frantz confirms her status as a favorite author. I cannot help but admire her skill as a storyteller and the depth of the historical details.

Having only recently read her 2022 release, A Heart Adrift, which includes the arrival of the displaced Acadians in Colonial Virginia, learning that her 2024 release was titled The Seamstress of Acadie was particularly exciting. And it did not disappoint.

Sylvie Galant’s life in Acadie is somewhat idyllic, tending her family’s apple orchard and sewing for the local fort. That life, however, is threatened by the English who covet the fertile lands of the Acadians. The enmity between the English and French forces are also the catalyst for bringing William Blackburn, leader of the British Army Rangers, to the Galant’s door in pursuit of her brother, half-Mi’kmaq Bleu Galant.

In an enmity-to-romance story, Frantz treats the reader to some highly fraught and delightful twists and turns. The journey to love and relationship between Sylvie and Will is complicated and not without dangers.

Whether The Seamstress of Acadie is your first or fifteenth book by Laura Frantz, be ready to get lost in the verdant settings of 1700’s Acadie, now Nova Scotia, and Virginia and to adore Will, Sophie, and many of the secondary characters. With appearances by several characters and several events mentioned from A Heart Adrift, this seems to have a parallel timeline that makes these books even more pleasing when read consecutively, though they are stand-alone novels.

Highly recommended. If you enjoy well researched and skillfully crafted Historical Romance with a faith element, this is one not to miss.

This review refers to both a purchased paperback and an advance uncorrected digital copy that I voluntarily received and read through NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

Laura Frantz is a master at making history come to life. Though this one started a bit slow, once I got to know the characters, I couldn't put it down. This was a historical event that I didn't know much about but now I am curious and interested in learning more.

This read is very much a slow build--which can be grand. I personally struggled with it--notably the many, many (many) characters, and ongoing use of French vocabulary (fine; I don't speak it, though, so it was a bit jarring and hard to find the appropriate balance of immediate translation for context or allowing the reader to infer translation).

A DNF at this time; I may pick it up down the line but would probably choose another Frantz book first. I simply did not connect with the characters or plot enough (or fast enough) to hold my interest and keep reading for now.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The beautiful cover of this novel hints at the touching story within. I fell in love with the slowly building rhythm of this tale. The author did a wonderful job of showing what Sylvie’s life was like as a member of a loving family and part of a close and peaceful Acadian community. Yet there was an uneasy rest for these people and it turned out to be a tragic future that was in store for them.

I really enjoyed the way Sylvie and Major William Blackburn met and the connection that pulled both of their thoughts to each other after that meeting. I loved seeing them reconnect later in the novel. Sylvie had endured much tragedy by that point and Will had a different focus for his future, as well.

The pacing of the story was a slow build, with an affection growing gently between Will and Sylvie, even as the fate of the remaining Acadians was unsure. I enjoyed that the author pulled in characters from A Heart Adrift. That was a fun surprise! No need to have read that book in order to enjoy this one, though.

Will and Sylvie were a delight. I loved the way they cared for each other, spent time together, and worked through their worries and concerns together. I loved this story from start to finish.

Once again Laura transported me to a time in history that I honestly didn't have much knowledge about and I absolutely loved it. It was a hard journey from Canada to Virginia but such beautiful moments of seeing God through the hardships that the characters endured throughout the story.

Sylvie is our main character and I really appreciated that Laura Frantz took time to really give us a great picture of where she is coming from and what her beautiful country of Nova Scotia was like before it was overtaken. I was heart broken with her as her home was taken from her and she is left alone in a ship. At times like this is when your human self asks why did God let this happen? Where is He when all this is happening? but alas everything has a purpose and a reason and He truly is control and you see that throughout the story.

The hardships Sylvie goes through are hard but there is always light at the end. We see her evolve in this story and I would be a horrible book reviewer if I don't mention Will Blackburn the love interest in this story. He is at first an enigma but soon we see that his gentle heart is guided by God and he seeks to champion for the refugees of Acadie and immediately is pulled towards Sylvie. I'll just say there were some great swoon-worthy moments!

Overall I thought this was a great story and if you have read her previous book Heart Adrift then you will see some familiar characters as this timeline goes along with that one as well. If you enjoy Historical Fiction then you may just want to add this one to your lists!

I received a copy of this book for review. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This story is simply marvellous! I loved it.

Sylvie Galant and her family live in Acadie, what is now known as Nova Scotia, on acres with lovely orchards. They are French like all who live in Acadie. Life appears to be good. Until the English arrive and choose to take Acadie for themselves, evicting all Acadians. It's traumatic to read and made me reflect on our Indigenous and how the English did similar only a twenty or so years later.

Sylvie, her Mere and younger sister, are put on one of many boats by the English and transported to somewhere. Unfortunately, many died on the voyage and eventually Sylvie is grounded in Virginia. There is still much prejudice against the Acadians and much uncertainty as to their future. Would they be shipped off again?

Enter Major Will Blackburn. Oh my, what a hero he is. Loved how Frantz sculpted Will into quite a remarkable leading man. He is a man of justice, and faith, and learnt French as a young man. He is smitten by Sylvie on first meeting when they were seemingly enemies.

I loved Sylvie too. She is so capable and gets to work sewing wherever she is stationed. In the 1700s it's a valuable skill which is needed everywhere and her kindness to so many in her sewing is wonderful to read.

Frantz takes you into the 1700s and brings the lands of Acadie, Williamsburg, Rivanna and the wilderness alive. The story is wonderfully researched so that what we are reading takes us back to those times. We get to experience first hand like we're present experiencing all the hardship, grit and fear that such harsh lands portray. It's wonderful writing.

I feel very blessed to have received an early ebook copy of the story from Revell via Net Galley. This has had no bearing on my review.

For those who revel in Longfellow’s Evangeline, Laura Frantz has delivered a sumptuous novel length romance set in the time of Le Grand Derangement and the turmoil of that event through the eyes of a young Acadian woman and a New England Ranger caught up in the madness of this mass deportation. With beautifully written prose, Frantz creates ties to the Galant home and surrounding lands which bonds the reader to Acadie and incites the proper heartache as Sophie’s family is rounded up among thousands of other Neutrals amidst the troubles between the French and British who covet their land. This is a book that will keep you flipping to the internet to refresh your history in a new light, personalizing the struggles that continued beyond being crammed into the dank, dark, unsanitary holds of ships with uncertain destinations and arriving to the consternation of locals who distrust and despise them based on their language. The character of William is crafted with great care, balancing the determination of a man set to avenge the brutal massacre of his family with that of one who is awakened and determined to make progress for the Acadians. Even the background characters, people and places alike, develop as driving forces in this deeply moving historical tale of home lost and found.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

The Seamstress of Acadie is a fascinating look at the story of the French Acadians who were exiled from Canada in the mid-1700s. I had heard that’s where the Louisiana “Cajuns” originated from all those generations ago, but I didn’t know much about it. I loved learning more about that piece of history (although this novel ended up in Virginia rather than Louisiana).

Author Laura Frantz makes the colonial period come alive with relatable characters and many details I hadn’t considered before. It’s hard for me to imagine the everyday challenges that our ancestors faced less than 300 years ago. I appreciated the spiritual growth and hope that was woven throughout the story.