Book Description

First Lady of Detroit is the spirited tale of an adventurous girl who grew up to commission and equip her own expedition to le Detroit, joining her husband there in the fall of 1701 -- less than a dozen weeks after Fort Pontchartrain was carved out of the Michigan wilderness. Born in 1671, Marie-Therese Guyon was educated in Quebec by Ursuline nuns. Although she was schooled to be a lady, her life was filled with excitement. She married the dashing and ambitious Antoine Laumet de Lamothe Cadillac just a month after they met. They would have thirteen children. Marie Therese took life in stride -- whether it included fire, an escape into the forest, kidnapping by a Spanish privateer, or just the need to purchase supplies for her husband's troops. The author interweaves vivid historical detail with entertaining dialogue and clever storytelling as she re-creates the life of this remarkable woman. To aid her audience, she has added notes explaining how the story was created from available historical facts. First Lady of Detroit is designed to appeal to older children, but readers of all ages are sure to find this a fascinating look at life in Nouvelle France.