An interview with Suzanne de Montigny
My guest today is author Suzanne de Montigny. Do you like historical romance? Crying and laughing? Then you’ll enjoy Suzanne’s latest novel, Fields of Gold Beneath Prairie Skies, based on a true story. Suzanne is also offering free downloads of one of her earlier novels at the end of the interview.
Welcome Suzanne, so what’s your latest book about?
Well, Simon, my blurb says it better than anything else.
French-Canadian soldier, Napoleon, proposes to Lea during WWI, promising golden fields of wheat as far as the eye can see. After the armistice, he sends money for her passage, and she journeys far from her family and the conveniences of a modern country to join him on a homestead in Saskatchewan. There, she works hard to build their dream of a prospering farm, clearing fields alongside her husband through several pregnancies and even after suffering a terrible loss. When the stock market crashes in ’29, the prairies are stricken by a long and abysmal drought. Thrown into poverty, she struggles to survive in a world where work is scarce, death is abundant, and hope dwindles. Will she and her family survive the Great Depression?
And this is a true story?
That’s right. It’s about my grandparents. They met in Belgium during World War I and he proposed, but she sent him back saying, “Go home. If you still want me, then send for me.” And he did. So she had to travel across the Atlantic Ocean, all the way to Regina, Saskatchewan.
At the time, Saskatchewan was a relatively new province and the government was giving land grants and opening up towns to serve the farmers who were willing to work the land. Well, the first crop was a bumper, then 1929 hit and along with it came the crash of the New York stock market and the beginning of the drought. The story moves from there, all about the hardships this poor woman endured. It’s a tearjerker for sure, but it’s interspersed with comical bits so you won’t feel like ending it all.
And what age is this appropriate for?
I’d say 15 and above.
So where can we get a copy of this intriguing novel?
You can pre-order it now at Fields of Gold pre-order
And you’re giving away a free copy of Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy?
Yes, indeed. Here’s the link for the Shadow of the Unicorn giveaway.
Thanks, Suzanne. And finally, where can people learn more about you and your books?
If you’d like to connect with me on social media, here are the links:
Well, that was fun!