Discarded by Nancy M. Bell (Part of the Canadian Historical Fiction series) | Book Review ~ Author Guest Post ~ $25 Gift Card Available | #HistFic @GoddessFish @emilypikkasso
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
Discarded by Nancy M. Bell Series: Part of the Canadian Historical Mysteries
Published by BWL Publishing on September 1, 2023
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 289
Source: Goddess Fish PromotionsWhen the British arrived in Winnipeg in the 1800s it was convenient for the men to take Metis wives. They were called a la vacon du pays – according to the custom of the country. These women bore the brunt of ensuring survival in the harsh environment. Without them the British army and fur traders would not have survived the brutal winters.
However, as society evolved it became accepted that wives must be white, schooled in British ways, fashionable in the European sense and married by the Anglican church. The Metis wives and their ‘country born’ offspring were thrown out and forced to fend for themselves. The unrepentant husbands continued to live comfortably with their ‘new’ wives.
It was inevitable that some discarded wives did not accept their fate quietly and hard feelings on both sides were unavoidable. When the bodies of two discarded Metis wives, Marguerite and Marie-Anne, are found floating in the Red River, Guilliame Mousseau, sets out to get to the bottom of his sister Margueite’s murder.
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Excerpt from Discarded
“Marguerite, you must go to him. Ètienne needs medicine, the fever is eating him up,” Marie Anne urged her sister.
The younger woman shook her head, wringing out a cloth in cold water to soothe her child. “How can I? The English woman, she is there now, I doubt Miles will even speak to me.”
“He must, Ètienne is his son!” Marie-Anne insisted.
“No longer.” The words were bitter. “He has disowned the bebes and me, discarded us like so much offal. Now that his fancy English lady has arrived.”
“Still, Marguerite, you must go and ask. I will come with you. Together we will convince your Miles to either send the British doctor or give us money for the medicine.” Anne Marie pulled the dripping cloth from Marguerite’s hand and threw it on the pounded earth floor. “Look at him! You cannot just let him die. If you won’t go yourself, I will go in your stead.”
Marie-Anne whirled around, grabbing two thick shawls from the back of a chair, and wrapping them around her shoulders. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at her sister. “Are you coming?”
“Yes, oui, of course. I know you are right. It is just my pride that stops me. For how long was I his wife in every sense of the word? If not for me, and you, and others like us, those soft Englishmen would never have survived their first winter. It was our relatives who brought them buffalo and other provisions to see them through, and us who cared for them, chopped wood, carried the water, bore their children…” Marguerite broke off, her throat closing in frustration and sorrow for all that they’d lost.
Angrily, she swiped the moisture from her cheeks and straightened her back. “Come, we go. Alexandre! Come watch your brother while I go to your papa to ask for help. ”The older boy poked the dying fire one more time before crossing the small room. He picked the sodden cloth up from the floor and wrung it out. After rinsing it with some water from the bucket by the bed, he wiped his little brother’s face.
“Maman, he’s burning up.” Alex looked up at her. “Will Papa come and take him to the doctor? Why hasn’t he come to see us lately?”
“Your papa will not be coming, nor will he take Ètienne to the doctor. The best we can hope for is that he will send the doctor or at least make provision for the apothecary to give me some medicine for him. I have tried the best I can with the willow bark, but it isn’t enough.”
“Will Ètienne die like Elizabeth?” Alex glanced at the empty cradle still sitting by the hearth.
“Not if I can help it,” Anne Marie promised. She took Marguerite’s arm and pulled her toward the door. “Put this on against the cold.” She thrust a Hudson’s Bay blanket into the other woman’s arms.
“Oui, yes, we must go. You are right.” Marguerite wrapped the woolen blanket tightly around her, and after one last look at her children, followed her sister out into the bitter wind blowing down the Red River, howling around the eaves of the small buildings and sending snow flying into their faces.
Alex’s last words echoed in Marguerite’s head as she shouldered her way against the wind. “Tell Papa I miss him.” She snorted, as if Miles cared about them anymore. Even little Elizabeth, dead at six months of age, hadn’t moved him to contribute to her burial. It was the English woman’s fault. She was the one who turned Miles against them.
Charlotte Windfield, what sort of name was Charlotte anyway? Grief stabbed her for a moment, not Windfield anymore, oh no. Miles married the salope in the church two weeks ago. So now she was Charlotte Ashmore. Lady Ashmore, the pute.
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for Discarded
Amazon – OneLink for every country
Discarded (Canadian Histori...Shop on Amazon
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My thoughts on Discarded
“Discarded” by Nancy M. Bell, a part of the Canadian Historical Fiction series, delves into a lesser-known period in Canadian history when the British arrived in Winnipeg in the 1800s. The book sheds light on the custom of British men taking Metis wives, known as ‘a la vacon du pays,’ who played a pivotal role in ensuring survival in the harsh environment of the region. These women were the backbone of the British army and fur traders during brutal winters.
As society evolved, a shift occurred towards white, Anglican church-sanctioned, and European-style wives, leading to the abandonment of Metis wives and their ‘country born’ children. The author skillfully explores the resulting tensions and hardships faced by these discarded wives, as well as the unrepentant husbands who comfortably embraced their ‘new’ wives.
The narrative takes an intriguing turn when two discarded Metis wives, Marguerite and Marie-Anne, are found dead in the Red River. Guilliame Mousseau, determined to uncover the truth behind his sister Marguerite’s murder, embarks on a quest that unravels secrets and hard feelings on both sides.
“Discarded” impresses with its well-researched historical context, inviting readers to delve deeper into this lesser-explored period of Canadian history. While the story boasts a large cast of characters, making it occasionally challenging to keep track, the descriptive writing immerses readers in each scene, enhancing their enjoyment.
Ultimately, “Discarded” successfully accomplishes the hallmark of a great historical fiction novel, as it leaves readers eager to pick up the next book in the series or embark on their own research into this fascinating time period.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Nancy M. Bell
Nancy M. Bell is a proud Albertan and Canadian. She lives near Balzac, Alberta with her husband and various critters. She is a member of The Writers Union of Canada and the Writers Guild of Alberta.
Nancy has numerous writing credits to her name, having three novels published and her work has been published in various magazines. She has also had her work recognized and honoured with various awards, and most recently, a silver medal in the Creative Writing category of the Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games in 2013.
Nancy has presented at the Surrey International Writers Conference in 2012 and 2013, and at the Writers Guild of Alberta Conference in 2014. She has publishing credits in poetry, fiction and non-fiction.
Nancy blogs on the first of each month at the Canadian Historical Brides Blog and on the 18th of every month at the Books We Love Insider Blog. Please drop by and say hi.
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Guest Post from Nancy M. Bell, author of Discarded
Hi Everyone, I thought I’d share a bit about me and what drives me to write. What inspires me, how much I hate or like research. <grins>
I strongly believe our personal life experience colours what we write. There are usually horses and dogs in my books. In A Step Beyond, the grey war stallion Alim actually steals every scene he’s in. It wasn’t meant to be that way, but hey, it happened. I’m also very interested in Celtic myths and legends and have spent many years studying and researching that as well as earth energy lines and ley lines. I am able to dowse energy lines both with rods and by intuition.
A lot of that research and knowledge is used in the first novel I had published Laurel’s Quest which takes place in Cornwall UK. My characters kind of slide into my head and start whispering their stories and I try to type fast enough to keep up with them. <no easy feat sometimes let me assure you> <grins> I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sometimes I get characters popping up unexpectedly to help move the plot forward (usually in ways I hadn’t anticipated). Case in point is the fire elemental, the salamander Belerion who shows up in the hearth when Laurel (of Laurel’s Quest) was in need of the next clue to her riddle. He took me by surprise but then he just winked that bright blue eye at me and we were off. (he kind of looks like the Geico Insurance lizard but bright red and trailing flares of fire with brilliant blue eyes).
I have been writing since I was in grade school. I still have some of the short and not so short stories hand scribbled in pencil and pen. They are embarrassingly terrible. But words have always come to me and demanded to be put down on paper. It must be some past life geasa or something. <laughs> I started a number of novels over the years, but life always got in the way, although I did amass a great deal of poetry and magazine articles.
Then in 2005 I had a life changing accident and went from 200 miles per hour to 0 in about 2 seconds. While it ended my career, it did give me time <too much of it at times> to read and research things I had put on the top shelf for too long. I think the Universe said “Hey, lady. Quit ignoring me and write the stories we keep gifting you with.” Apparently, it was time I listened to my muse’s voice.
I often draw inspiration from physical places. There are places on the prairies where the stories whisper in the wind and the rustle of the prairie grasses. Old stories, older than we could remember. The land lies dreaming under the sky. Those words were shared with me many years ago sitting on a hill looking over the sun drenched prairie toward the Rocky Mountains in the west.
Carn les Boels in Cornwall is an old Iron Age stone fort, unremarkable unless you are sensitive. It lies near the Cornish Coastal Path and is where the Michael and Mary earth energies come to earth in England having traveled from Mont St. Michel in Brittany. From Carn les Boels they travel to form a node at St Michael’s Mount just off shore from Marizion, Cornwall. Interestingly, both Mont St Michel and St Michael’s Mount are tidal islands.
Stories are everywhere. I once came home from walking the dogs with a poem. April Earth. Another place is Lake Louise in Banff National Park, at the head of the lake away from the hotel, and Boscawe’en stone circle near St Buryan in Cornwall is a magic place. You can almost see the enchantment hanging in the air and taste it on your tongue.
For my own reading enjoyment, I love Charles de Lint, Mercedes Lackey, Jonathan Stroud. Anything with Magic and Fantasy. Charles de Lint, hands down, is my favourite fiction author. For non-fiction: Hamish Miller or John Michel
My advice for anyone thinking of submitting their work to a publisher. Make sure your manuscript is pristine before you submit it. It MUST adhere to the publishing house’s formatting and call for submissions or it won’t even get read.
Publishers and acquisition editors are inundated daily with reams of submissions, if the author hasn’t taken the time to make sure they are submitting work that has been called for, and that adheres to their formatting requirements it’s a red flag that this author may not be the best to work with. You’ll get a rejection without them reading a word of your manuscript.
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know me a bit.
My latest novel is Discarded, a Canadian Historical Mystery published by BWL Publishing Inc. It released September 1, 2023. You can find Discarded on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and wherever good books are sold. You can visit my page on BWL Publishing at https://bwlpublishing.ca/bell-nancy/
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Purchase Discarded online from a local bookstore.
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Easy Amazon Info Link
Amazon – OneLink for every country
If the above link does not take you to your country, here are a few more:
Please send me a note if your country isn’t listed and you would like to purchase using my links. Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share.
Discarded (Canadian Histori...Shop on Amazon
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Giveaway!
Nancy M. Bell will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for Discarded
Full Tour Schedule:
September 11: Literary Gold
September 12: Westveil Publishing
September 13: Kenyan Poet
September 14: Novels Alive – review only
September 14: Fabulous and Brunette
September 15: The Avid Reader – review only
September 15: Gina Rae Mitchell – review
September 18: Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
September 19: Kit ‘n Kabookle
September 20: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
September 21: D.S. Dehel.com – review only
September 21: Sandra’s Book Club
September 22: travel the ages
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Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour Host
Thank you for hosting “Discarded” today!
great review, this sounds like a good book
Thank you to Gina Rae Mitchell for hosting me today and the wonderful review. I truly appreciate your support.
You are most welcome, Nancy. I hope you have a wonderful tour.
Such an interesting review, I absolutely love books that are historically accurate or at least well researched about the time period it’s set in. I’ll definitely be checking out this book especially because I don’t know that much about Canadian history.
Hi Pooja, thanks so much for coming by and leaving a comment. I loved researching this book, there is so much that is different and more accurate than what is recorded in Canadian school books which were of course written by the victorious and not the trodden upon. I hope you enjoy the story. Nancy
Thanks Pooja. So happy you stopped by today!
I would like to read Discarded because I have not read many books with a Canadian setting.
Hi Nancy. Great name by the way I only write with Canadian settings a rule. I do have a couple set in England, but mostly Canadian. I guess because I am Canadian and want to share my country with the world. Thanks for coming by and commenting.