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The narrative follows the Cajuns' early ancestors, the Acadians, from seventeenth-century France to Nova Scotia, where they flourished until British soldiers expelled them in a tragic event called Le Grand Dérangement (The Great Upheaval)--an episode regarded by many historians as an instance of ethnic cleansing or genocide. Up to one-half of the Acadian population died from disease, starvation, exposure, or outright violence in the expulsion. Nearly three thousand survivors journeyed through the thirteen American colonies to Spanish-controlled Louisiana. There they resettled, intermarried with members of the local population, and evolved into the Cajun people, who today number over a half-million. Since their arrival in Louisiana, the Cajuns have developed an unmistakable identity and a strong sense of ethnic pride.

In recent decades they have contributed their lively cuisine and accordion-and-fiddle dance music to American popular culture. Les Cadiens et leurs ancêtres acadiens: l'histoire racontée aux jeunes includes numerous images and over a dozen sidebars on topics ranging from Cajun music and horse racing heroes to Mardi Gras. Shane K. Bernard's welcomed and cherished history of the Cajun people is translated into French by Faustine Hillard. The book offers a long-sought immersion text, ideal for the young learner and adult alike.

Intended to appeal to both native French-speakers as well as to English-speaking students who are learning French, this French translation of Shane K. Bernard's Cajuns and Their Acadian Ancestors: A Young Reader's History is perfect for middle-school and high-school readers enrolled in conversational and French Immersion classes. Adult readers of French will also find it a useful primer of Acadian and Cajun history.

Les Cadiens et leurs ancêtres acadiens: l'histoire racontée aux jeunes retrace le périple de quatre siècles de ce groupe ethnique nord-américain distinct des autres. Accessible aux adolescents, ce volume s'avérera également utile et pratique pour le lecteur adulte qui cherche à connaître à la fois ce peuple remarquable et ses ancêtres.

Le récit suit la trace des Acadiens, les premiers ancêtres des Cadiens, de la France du dix-septième siècle à la Nouvelle-Écosse, là où ils se sont épanouis jusqu'à ce que des soldats britanniques les expulsent lors de cet évènement tragique que fut Le grand dérangement--un triste épisode qui a débuté en 1755 et que nombre d'historiens modernes considèrent comme un parfait exemple de nettoyage ethnique, voire de génocide. Près de trois mille survivants ont (péniblement) traversé les treize colonies américaines pour se rendre jusqu'en Louisiane, alors sous le régime espagnol. Là, ils s'installent à nouveau, s'intègrent à la population locale par le biais du mariage et forment peu à peu ce qu'il est aujourd'hui convenu d'appeler le peuple cadien. Aujourd'hui, on compte plus d'un demi-million d'habitants d'origine cadienne en Louisiane.

Born in Aix-en-Provence (France), Faustine Hillard benefits from a rich, dual heritage, with the experience of American and French cultures and language at an early age. She holds a Master's degree in French and Francophone studies, and she has worked with young people in university and parochial settings, in high-school and junior-high levels, in small rural day schools, and in large urban boarding schools.

She co-founded the local chapter of Alliance Française. As program administrator, she designed cultural and educational programs, including heritage language classes for descendents of the Acadian diaspora.

A translator and cultural activist, she worked with CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana), environmental activist Greg Guirard, and author and historian Shane K. Bernard on questions regarding French Louisiana's ethnic identity and linguistic diversity.

As a teacher, she finds joy in inspiring others and believes that creativity, authentic relationships, and exploration best open the worlds of culture and possibility to students. Passionate about the power of education to transform lives, she is committed to the values that help realize this vision: engagement, active listening, respect for diversity, and purposeful action.