Acadian Star, by Hélène Boudreau, is a suspenseful adventure set
partly in modern-day Cape Breton, partly in another time. The heart
of the story is about friendship, something that's especially
important to young girls growing up. Pre-teen Meg Gallant and her
cousin, Nève, have been best friends all their lives. Today is the
day they'll compete as a dancing/singing team in the Acadian Star
Competition. If they win they'll go on to the finals in Halifax.
But there's a shadow on the day: Nève will soon have to move away
with her family, and their friendship could be broken forever.
According to Meg's great-aunt, Tante Perle, this has happened
before. The story goes back to the time of the Acadian Deportation,
250 years ago, when thousands of Acadians were evicted from their
homeland. Something else happened then that has brought sadness and
separation to a girl in each generation of Gallants. Each one has
had the chance to go back and put things right, and each has
failed. Now it's Meg's turn. She's whisked back through time and
plunked down in the middle of the deportation. Can she prevent
heartbreak this time? Right up to the end, the reader won't know
whether or not she succeeds - or how the competition turns out!
Hélène Boudreau has deep roots in the Acadian tradition: she was
born on Isle Madame, in Nova Scotia. Her love for the land and the
people shines through and, at a key moment in the story, will bring
tears to the reader's eyes, no matter what their background.