Braving the Dawn: A Novel of New France
Banished from France, the young, beautiful, and pregnant widow, Sylvienne d’Aubert, travels to the French colony of Quebec with a group of women sent to North America as “filles du roi” (Daughters of the King). Unlike the others, who are eager to find husbands, Sylvienne, who had endured an arranged marriage to an abusive man in France, does not want to remarry. Her goal is to return to France and the only man she loves, her condemned lover, Etienne.
Williams sets the stakes for Sylvienne high. She must hide her pregnancy, make herself useful to avoid marriage, and survive the hardships of frontier life, including an unforgiving terrain, a freezing climate, and life-threatening dangers from man and beast. Her past haunts her. She discovers that old enemies have arrived with her, and she makes new ones as she settles into her new life in Quebec. But she discovers a well of internal strength in the process, along with friendship, adventure and unexpected love.
Williams writes a character-driven, adventure-filled, action-packed story with lots of romance and conflict. The setting in 17th-century New France is vivid and lively. Sylvienne is a naïve girl who matures as she faces a series of emotional and moral challenges. The ending is strong, with several emotional twists.
