Reviewed by Kelsey Vang for Readers' Favorite

Marianne Rabalais Suler opens a window into a period of little-known history with her debut novel, Like Snow Before Sun. Set in the mid-1700’s Acadia (modern-day Nova Scotia), the story follows the harrowing journey of Jeanne LeJeune, a woman of both French-Acadian and Mi’kmaq descent, whose father is taken prisoner by the English governor of Halifax for refusing to swear an oath of loyalty to the British crown. To set her father free, she must collect enough oaths of allegiance throughout the region. To accomplish this feat, she partners with English Colonel Harry Young, who has been assigned a mission to complete a census of the province. As Jeanne and Harry form an unlikely partnership that grows into something more, long-laid British plans are revealed, trust is tested, and the question of whether to fight or flee must ultimately be answered.

Like Snow Before Sun is history come alive through fiction, and Marianne Rabalais Suler captures the complex dynamics of this fraught historical moment well. Jeanne is compelling, strong, and resourceful as she traverses three worlds, each with its own unique challenges and dangers. She is a devoted daughter to her French merchant father, the granddaughter of a Mi’kmaq chieftain, and is caught up in a land under dispute, with increasing English power threatening all that she holds dear. Jeanne faces many cruelties and troubles throughout the story, and along the way must wrestle with her own prejudice and learn how to trust an unlikely ally. Through her experiences, the novel asks many challenging and important questions and examines the brutal complexities of war with impressive honesty. Though we sadly know the outcome for thousands of Acadians as a result of this war, the story helps the reader gain more than just cursory knowledge. You walk away with a greater recognition of the loss and sacrifice behind the tragic reality of ethnic cleansing. I recommend it to anyone looking for a solid piece of historical fiction!