The ensuing wit and wisdom of a young girl and her two younger brothers, who suddenly discover themselves under stealthy siege by native attackers is awe inspiring. Left in charge for an intended brief period while her mother and younger siblings tend to business in Montreal, her French general father away fighting battles to hold the frontier against the incessant attacks of the Iroquois, Madeleine finds herself not just managing the home front, but literally “holding the fort.” Madeleine de Verchères’ courage is legendary. Her success in accomplishing the impossible bore fruit, her courage a testimony to the valor of youth with no thought of self, but only what actions and self-imposed endurance will preserve for a family, a community, and a nation. Her sense of responsibility and duty to others undergirded her determination-amazing determination-to hold a fort in the wilderness against all odds.
Lawrence River, a small figure, musket in hand, a memorial of gratitude to a person whose courageous efforts helped take a foothold in the wilderness, helped to forge a nation.Īnd she was a girl. Canada values the feat of courage and fortitude displayed by one of her pioneers so much that a statue stands on the bank of the St.
My children and I just finished reading a book about a hero of those brutal, wintry regions. As I write, the temperatures in Virginia rival the bitter winters of the far north.
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