Books

Promised to the Crown

  • Feb 26, 2021
  • Aimie K. Runyan
  • 975 responses.

Promised to the Crown Bound for a new continent and a new beginning In her illuminating debut novel Aimie K Runyan masterfully blends fact and fiction to explore the founding of New France through the experiences of thre

  • Title: Promised to the Crown
  • Author: Aimie K. Runyan
  • ISBN: 9781496701121
  • Page: 305
  • Format: Paperback

    • Bound for a new continent, and a new beginning.In her illuminating debut novel, Aimie K Runyan masterfully blends fact and fiction to explore the founding of New France through the experiences of three young women who, in 1667, answer Louis XIV s call and journey to the Canadian colony.They are known as the filles du roi, or King s Daughters young women who leave prospeBound for a new continent, and a new beginning.In her illuminating debut novel, Aimie K Runyan masterfully blends fact and fiction to explore the founding of New France through the experiences of three young women who, in 1667, answer Louis XIV s call and journey to the Canadian colony.They are known as the filles du roi, or King s Daughters young women who leave prosperous France for an uncertain future across the Atlantic Their duty is to marry and bring forth a new generation of loyal citizens Each prospective bride has her reason for leaving poverty, family rejection, a broken engagement Despite their different backgrounds, Rose, Nicole, and Elisabeth all believe that marriage to a stranger is their best, perhaps only, chance of happiness.Once in Quebec, Elisabeth quickly accepts baker Gilbert Beaumont, who wants a business partner as well as a wife Nicole, a farmer s daughter from Rouen, marries a charming officer who promises comfort and security Scarred by her traumatic past, Rose decides to take holy vows rather than marry Yet no matter how carefully she chooses, each will be tested by hardship and heartbreaking loss and sustained by the strength found in their uncommon friendship, and the precarious freedom offered by their new home.

    • ↠ Promised to the Crown ï Aimie K. Runyan
      305 Aimie K. Runyan
    Promised to the Crown

    About "Aimie K. Runyan"

    1. Aimie K. Runyan

      Aimie K Runyan writes to celebrate history s unsung heroines She is the author of two previous historical novels Promised to the Crown and Duty to the Crown She is active as an educator and speaker in the writing community and beyond She lives in Colorado with her wonderful husband and two usually adorable children.

    975 Comments

    1. I don t consider myself a big historical fiction reader Mostly I like books with bite and I always thought hist fic was kind ofce.I was wrong.Promised is a historical fiction book WITH BITE First of all, I had no idea how Quebec was colonized I d never given it a thought The history is completely fascinating This is a book about 3 women who were ostracized in France sent to Colonial Quebec to POPULATE THE COLONY This was their only directive Think about this Marry and have babies that s your onl [...]

      Reply

    2. guys guys guys I loved, loved, loved this book Loved it LOVED IT Seriously, loved it.17th Century France was a major power who wanted to extend their influence by populating and securing New France The King offered young women of various stations a dowry and an opportunity Called The Filles du Roi these women of breeding age and strong constitution would sail to North America, marry the settlers already colonizing this brave, treacherous land and increase the population for the good of their hom [...]

      Reply

    3. What I really love about Promised to the Crown is that it gives us a look at a time in history that is often overlooked The women in New France had such a challenge in being the first settlers and I think the author does a beautiful job of illustrating those I think each of the women brings a certain charm to the novel, but Elisabeth was totally my favorite I love a strong women who can hang with the boys The portrayal of the women s friendship was realistic and their adventures sometimes gritty [...]

      Reply

    4. I ve read a few novels set in French Canada, or New France, as it was known back then, and it s a setting that really appeals to me, so I was looking forward to Promised to the Crown, especially since the focus is on the little known story of the courageous women who ventured into the unknown to settle the colony for their king.The story follows Rose as she decides to leave behind a life of service in a charity hospital in Paris for the chance of a brighter future, and Elisabeth and Nicole, two [...]

      Reply

    5. I adore fiction that teaches me something while it sweeps me into a story Aimie K Runyan s beautifully written debut Promised to the Crown is one such novel But Promised to the Crown is so much than an intriguing look at history It follows three women as they forge a lasting friendship with each other, one that begins on their journey across the ocean and endures long after they arrive in New France The glimpses into their backstories, each varied and tragic in their own way, enhance the poigna [...]

      Reply

    6. Being Canadian I am always on the lookout for historical fiction taking place in this beautiful country It s sometimes hard to find and this being the first in series means to come This is Aimie K Runyan s debut and I feel she is off to a really good start Following the lives of 3 young women, Elizabeth, Nicole and Rose, all with different backgrounds and various reasons for going to Canada The author kept my attention throughout this book, she didn t sugar coat the crossing or the struggles th [...]

      Reply

    7. Daughters to the Crown Between 1663 and 1673 approximately 800 women emigrated to Canada to marry and have children to protect the land for King Louis XIV from any country trying to steal the land from him The New France was mostly populated by men and natives The women known as filles du roi, meaning that the women were recruited by the government and their passage was paid by the King, gave up what they knew or escaped to start a new life in an untamed land The women in Promised to the Crown w [...]

      Reply

    8. This is a rare gem of a book, set in a fascinating, yet often overlooked, period of history The story focuses on a group of young women who, for various reasons and motivations, decide to make the brave journey to 17th century Quebec to become wives of French settlers Each woman s story is so well crafted it s quite obvious that the author put much painstaking thought and research into creating these young women Each woman, despite her intrepid decision, is very human and relatable, despite the [...]

      Reply

    9. Promised to the Crown is a gripping tale of young women thrust into almost unimaginable circumstances plucked from France and sent to Quebec to become brides to strangers, the rough men settling the New World Aimie Runyan s compelling characters, including members of the local Huron tribe, are drawn with sensitivity and authenticity Runyan deftly weaves in details of life in New France, illustrating a time in North American history with which many U.S readers might not be familiar The novel trac [...]

      Reply

    10. This is a terrific debut, focusing on three women who heed the French king s call to travel to the Canadian colony and start a new life Great storytelling and a look at a lesser known period of history.

      Reply

    11. Being a Canadian, I had learned bits about this period in history, but this book brought it alive for me I absolutely loved this story and am looking forward to the next one Duty to the Crown.It is 1667 and France wants to secure it s colony in North America known as New France To do this, the King offered young women of various stations a dowry and passage to the colony in order to marry one of the settlers and raise families The belief was that once entrenched in New France, the settlers would [...]

      Reply

    12. Fascinating I was fortunate to be in Quebec City just after reading Promised to the Crown A look at the Ursuline museum and other places that depict the French arrival in this part of the world certainly added gravitas and depth to Runyan s fictional account of those early days of the colony.The filles du roi, or King s Daughters , were young women who in 1667 answered the King s call to leave France for the new world of the northern american continent in Quebec They were to become brides of the [...]

      Reply

    13. Find this and other reviews at flashlightcommentary.Aimie K Runyan s Promised to the Crown intrigued me I haven t read a lot of fiction set in Canada and while I was aware it d been a French colony, I d never heard of the King s Daughters and wasn t entirely sure what to expect from the narrative I took time to consider the book, but it stayed on my radar as reviews came in, my curiosity grew, and eventually got the best of me Runyan s fiction introduced me to material I knew absolutely nothing [...]

      Reply

    14. Promised to the Crown is a novel of the women the came to settle in New France I ve not read anything about the history of Canada s settlement, so I was really excited to read this book It figures around three women, Elizabeth, Nicole and Rose, all who have had different trials that have brought them thousands of miles from home.It is the kind of book you can t put down If you judge by the cover you might dismiss this book as just another fluffy historical novel It isn t Aimie Runyan doesn t for [...]

      Reply

    15. 4.5 stars Promised to the Crown is the story of three women from France who seek to make their futures in Canada, called New France at this time Nicole, Elisabeth, and Rose are three very different women from very different backgrounds who believe that they are better off going to someplace where they really don t know anyone and marrying a man in the colony I did not know much about New France and the settlers there before this book but this historical fiction gives a fascinating glimpse into a [...]

      Reply

    16. Louis XIV s colony in Canada needs women.Surrounded by the British, the King needs to tie his settlers to the land with farms, wives, and children to defend in the event their enemies should invade.The King s ministers advised a plan by which young, strong women of good character would be sent at the King s expense to wed the soldiers, farmers, artisans, and fur trappers who popluate the colony.History would remember them as the King s Daughters and the Daughters of New France History doesn t ha [...]

      Reply

    17. I love the women in this story Rose, Elisabeth and Nicole After finishing PROMISED TO THE CROWN they re my sisters Together we ve celebrated marriages, mourned wrenching loss, baked bread, and ministered to the ill All consequences are extreme, all tasks difficult, due to their surroundings the uncompromisingly rugged yet breathtakingly beautiful world of New France aka Quebec in the 1600s This story illustrates a period of history and a place I knew nothing about, yet after reading this novel [...]

      Reply

    18. I wasn t sure what I would think about Promised to the Crown in the beginning I was pleased how refreshing it was to read something with new historical material I liked the book and hope to read the rest of the series in the future.5 stars.

      Reply

    19. I read this book on the recommendation of my daughter in law Good call, Jess I really enjoyed the characters and the unflinching representation of the limited choices, but important role of women in New France Looking forward to the next in the series.

      Reply

    20. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that I ve slept with the author On an air mattress on our friend s living room floor because we were both too drunk to drive home after a night of debauched carousing Because adulthood is all about making responsible choices I feel strongly that there is an ideal medium for every story While I enjoy Game of Thrones, I think that story is best told in novel form Likewise, the Firefly comic books are entertaining, but that story is really best told [...]

      Reply

    21. Years ago, Nicole Mac s novel MARIE CARDUNER, FILLE DU ROY, written in French, introduced me to the fascinating history of the filles du roy, the eight hundred young French women who emigrated to Canada between 1663 and 1673 under the sponsorship of Louis XIV in order to find husbands and increase the population of New France Intrigued by the world Mac evoked, I searched for other novels on the topic, only to discover the story of the filles du roy virtually unknown to English language readers A [...]

      Reply

    22. Promised to the Crown by Aimie K, Runyan is the first book in the Daughters of New France series Louis XIV is looking for young women of good moral character to send to New France The men there need brides and the King wanted to see this new area prosper and grow Elisabeth Martin, Nicole Deschamps, and Rose Barre have decided to go to this new world three of many They are each looking for a new start Elisabeth is the daughter of a baker father who recently passed away and a mother who quickly go [...]

      Reply

    23. I have always been fascinated by the Filles du Roi aka the Daughters of the King In the 18th century, King Louis of France, gathered young woman of good standing, and under his protection sent them to New France for the sole purpose of marrying and begetting children to populate the new world Many of the young women came from convents, or were orphans, or were from noble families who had come upon hard times After the perilous journey to Quebec, these women had their pick of men to marry This no [...]

      Reply

    24. I don t have an overwhelming knowledge or interest for that matter in US history history and I have absolutely NO knowledge of Canada s history This is one of things I love most about reading I learn the most interesting things by virtue of the novelization of a tidbit of history My third 5 star book of the year takes the historical fact of young women being sent from France to help colonize what became Quebec.The book takes place starting in 1667 when the French crown was concerned that the Bri [...]

      Reply

    25. Before reading Promised to the Crown, I had no idea that young women were sent from France to Canada as prospective brides The premise fascinated me and the story was engrossing The novel follows three women as they leave France for Canada Rose, Nicole and Elisabeth Each woman has her reasons for leaving, believing that marrying a stranger is better than remaining in France.The women bond on the voyage over and despite the different circumstances they find themselves in, their friendship and loy [...]

      Reply

    26. Aimie K Runyan has written a wonderful debut novel about the early settlers in Quebec, Canada Promised to the Crown tells the story of three young ladies who have been selected, due to different circumstances, to travel to Canada to be wives to the settlers France has determined that this new world s first French citizens need to be encouraged to stay, farm, marry and raise a family Each young woman s sole purpose is to marry and have as many children as possible to colonize this new territory T [...]

      Reply

    27. Aimie Runyan s fantastic debut novel transported me to Colonial France Her use of three different point of view characters gave the novel depth and a range of perspective not commonly seen in historical fiction I found it interesting to see how different women responded to the hardships and positive experiences of life in Colonial Canada.Although I had heard of the filles du roi women who answered Louis XIV s call to cross the ocean and help establish the new Canadian colony by marrying settlers [...]

      Reply

    28. It s difficult for me to imagine the limited opportunities available to women here in America 100 years ago even 50 years ago , so it s truly fascinating to follow the journeys of three women traveling from France to what we now call Canada, but they called New France when the story begins in 1667 It s great to learn about a time in history I previously knew nothing about through an entertaining fictional tale told from the points of view of three young women who set off on a grueling three mont [...]

      Reply

    29. WARNING This review may contain minor spoilers.I was given an advanced reader s copy of this book in a giveaway.Promised to the Crown is about three women from France who are sent to the colonies of New France Canada as Filles de Roi Daughters of the King This means that they were sent to the colonies to marry and have children in order to populate the new nation.I knew very little about the history of the filles de roi, and I feel this book is a great way to introduce yourself to this part of h [...]

      Reply

    30. Thanks to the publisher and for a free copy of Promised to the Crown The filles du roi are some of my favourite people to read about some of the most memorable books from my childhood were about them And I think it s so compelling and terrifying to think of what that must have been like, moving across the ocean as a young woman for the purpose of getting married and having kids as soon as possible.Promised to the Crown captures that beautifully Following a number of girls from France through the [...]

      Reply

    Leave a Comment