Wilmont Kreis

Happy New Year! I suppose this is a good time to bring up one of the most common subjects readers ask about. CALVADOS: A department in the region of Normandy in northwestern France, its name comes from a group of rocks on the coast. The signature brandy is first mentioned in the 8th century and the first know Normand distillation from the famous Calvados apples of the region was about 1553. The Parisians will tell you it is consumed after a fat-filled Normand meal to make “a hole” in one’s stomach to aid digestion. It is now readily found in U.S. liquor stores and is a bit of an acquired taste. Try it sometime. Read More 

On arrival in Mortagne, Francoise is a lost soul in an unfamiliar place, looking for a relative she has never met . She finds help at the local convent where the Mother Superior helps Identify the relative as Nicole Boucher. By coincidence, Nicole's precocious eight-year-old son, Pierre is studying in the next room. This gifted boy brings Francoise to his home, beginning a lifelong relationship where Young Pierre grows into a man becoming one of the most important fathers of Canada. Read More 

Book Thirteen: Percheron Express
During her stay in Mortagne, Françoise aids a prominent citizen, Robert Giffard, assemble a group of five local families to sail to the new world and become the mothers and fathers of Canada. In addition to these ordinary families were Giffard and his family, as well three well-to-do families and a few single men a few of whom had been to Québec before. The ship which brought them had been nicknamed the Percheron Express in honor of the home province of these hardy pioneers. Read More 

Book Thirteen: Young Pierre: One of the joys of writing (and reading) historical fiction is that one is provided with a few or many delicious tidbits of history that are very possibly accurate. The strict history writer is stuck with these facts and these alone. The historical fiction author has the wonderful luxury of filling in the blanks with probabilities, possibilities, and out-right imagination. One of Françoise’s first encounters with Perche is eight year old Pierre. Much of his early story is provided by the author, but as the book evolves, Pierre becomes a pillar of history. More to come.  Read More 

Book Thirteen: Mortagne: Françoise’s cousin graciously takes her into her home. Once she achieves some stability she goes to the local convent where she helps the nuns with their school. From here she will meet a few people who will shape her life: Sister Marie-Claude, who helps her escape from her wretched past, Robert Giffard who will cause her to return to Canada, Pierre Boucher, her cousin’s precocious eight-year-old son who will grow to one of the fathers of Canada, and Noël Langlois who will become the love of her life. Read More