Author Dottie Hutchins and photographer Paul Cyr will sign copies of their new book, Acadian Roots: Images of the St. John Valley / Racines acadiennes : Images de la vallée Saint-Jean, at a book launch July 15 at the University of Maine’s Acadian Archives in Fort Kent. Lise Pelletier, director of the Acadian Archives, UMFK, will host the event that takes place, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., at 23 University Drive.
The book is filled with colourful photos, providing a pictorial tour of the Acadian communities in Maine and New Brunswick that dot the landscape on both sides of the narrow St. John River. It “blends the beauty of farms, forest, and communities of the Upper St. John River Valley with a unique genealogical perspective of its history and heritage.”
The story of nine generations of the Sire (now Cyr) family is featured in the book. Pierre Sire (1644-1679) was the first Cyr ancestor to arrive in the New World. “Around 1668, Pierre departs his native France for Port Royal, the first agricultural village of Acadie (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia), where he marries Marie Bourgeois, born 1652, Port Royal, the daughter of Jacques and Jeanne (Trahan) Bourgeois. Marie’s father is a surgeon and both her parents are members of the founding generation of Acadie.”
Ms. Pelletier provided French translation of the text and added cultural flavour by providing a series of short stories and sayings typical of the Valley.
This book will no doubt interest Acadians and those interested in Acadian history. Two pages are devoted to exploring the University of Maine’s Acadian Archives.
You can take a sneak peak at the book here.
