Big Blend Radio's "Books & Authors Show" with Books Forward welcomes debut novelist Marianne Rabalais Sulser, whose historical novel Like Snow Before Sun is out now through Atmosphere Press. Born and raised in central Louisiana and now based in Colorado, Marianne takes us deep into the world of 1755 Acadia — now known as Nova Scotia — and the tragic history of the Acadian expulsion, a story she discovered through her own ancestral research.
Watch the Big Blend Radio Conversation Below or Listen/Download the Episode on Podbean:
About the Book:
"...an absorbing page-turner." — Kirkus Reviews
"A sweeping depiction of love, sacrifice, and betrayal in 18th century Nova Scotia." — BookLife
Which will you sacrifice — the father that raised you, or the nation you adore?
Acadia, 1755. Jeanne LeJeune has always lived between worlds — the fierce daughter of a French merchant and a Mi'kmaw woman, she is torn between the quiet rhythms of village life and the wild heartbeats of her mother's people. But when her father is seized by English soldiers, her fragile peace shatters.
To win his freedom, Jeanne agrees to guide an English officer through the wilds of Nova Scotia — a choice that entangles her in the coming storm of war. What begins as a wary alliance soon becomes a journey fraught with danger, betrayal, and passion.
As the drums of conflict echo through the untamed heart of the forest, Jeanne must face an impossible choice: betray her heart to save her father, or risk everything for the nation that shaped her soul.
Lush, romantic, and unflinching, Like Snow Before Sun captures a love tested by loyalty, loss, and the devastating cost of survival.
Find Like Snow Before Sun at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Big Blend Book Review
By Nancy J. Reid, Co-Founder of Big Blend Media
"Written by author Marianne Rabalais Sulser, 'Like Snow Before Sun' is a gripping historical novel that you won't want to put down until you finish the book — and then, you are sorry the story has ended.
The characters are vibrant, intense, realistic and very human, having faults as well as moments of bravery, fear, and determination.
Set in Acadia (a French colony now known as Nova Scotia) in the 1750s, the book brings to life a slice of little-known history and makes it memorable. The attitudes of conquerors versus those who they subjugate sets the scene for conflict as well as romance. Loyalties and honor square off against the beckoning of the temptations of wealth and power. The story also touches on sexism and racism, a look at how far civilization has come — and makes you think of what still needs to change.
The main character, Jeanne LeJeune, the daughter of a French merchant and a native Mi'kmaw woman, searches for her missing father and the adventures begin. If history was taught through writings like this, I believe we all would be far better versed in the subject.
I hope there is a sequel to this, and I believe it is a movie just waiting to be made."
Big Blend Radio Interview Highlights & Behind-the-Scenes Insights
A Story Hidden in Family Roots Marianne's maternal ancestors were among the thousands of Acadians forcibly displaced from Nova Scotia by the British in the 1750s. Tracing her family history led her to an unexpected and beautiful connection to the Mi'kmaq nation — a discovery that became the heart of the novel.
The Real People Behind the Fiction The heroine Jeanne LeJeune is inspired by one of Marianne's own ancestors, a métis woman of Acadian and Mi'kmaw heritage. Henry Young, the English officer, draws from a real historical figure — Major John Handfield, a British commandant of Fort Anne who was married to an Acadian woman and is believed by historians to have quietly helped some 300 Acadians escape the British roundup.
The Relationship Between Acadians and First Nations Unlike the British model of colonization — clear the land, claim it, move on — the Acadians built deep, respectful relationships with the indigenous nations they lived alongside, learning everything from hunting techniques to crafting lightweight, water-tight canoes essential for survival in a landscape where water was the only reliable transportation route much of the year.
The Story Behind the Title The title is inspired by a quote from Chief Tecumseh of the Shawnee, lamenting the loss of First Nations culture: "Where today are the Pequot? Where are the Narragansett, the Mohican, the Pokanoket, and many other once powerful tribes of our people? They have vanished before the avarice and the oppression of the White Man, as snow before a summer sun." Marianne saw a powerful parallel between that loss and the cultural erasure experienced by the Louisiana Cajuns — the descendants of the displaced Acadians.
Balancing History and Story The Acadian expulsion built over decades of conflict. Marianne condensed that timeline for narrative drive, carefully weaving in the complex politics and cultural history without overwhelming readers — keeping the story taut, fast-paced, and deeply human.
Why This Story Matters Now "I hope that readers see the parallels of this tragedy and our own unsettled political moment. In times of fear, people can convince themselves that any manner of crime is worthwhile. It is only in looking back do we realize the error of our ways."
Marianne Rabalais Sulser is a Louisiana native transplanted to Colorado, where she writes, gardens, volunteers at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and spends time with her husband and three occasionally well-behaved children. Like Snow Before Sun is her debut novel.
Connect with Marianne:
Website: MarianneSulser.com
Find Like Snow Before Sun at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org