Bayou Brides: Four Generations of Couples Are Bound by Love, Faith, and Land

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (10/06) "Bayou Brides" tells the story of four generations of one family, living on the banks of the Bayou Teche in the heart of Cajun Country. The stories of their life, love and redemption are told in this inspirational romance. "Capucine: Home to My Heart" by Janet Spaeth Capucine knows she must be strong when the British tear her and her sister Aliette from their mother's arms. Her heart is hardened and she vows to find her mother and "make the British pay for what they have done, I will never forget." Capucine remembers her mother quoting her scripture. "Where your treasure is there will be your heart also," but she doesn't truly understand the meaning behind the words. When Capucine and Michel LeBlanc paths cross he comes to love her but she is not sure she knows how to love. Writing a journal assists Capucine in sorting out her thoughts and in talking to the Lord. Through love, patience and God's will, Michel teaches Capucine how to love and how to forgive. This is a beautifully written love story. The characters are strong and well developed. The plot flows smoothly. The print is large and easy to read. The love story of Capucine and Michel is beautiful; it contains a purity that few stories contain today. But this goes beyond love story; this is a story of forgiveness. "Joie de Vivre" by Lynette Sowell The LeBlanc family has raised Jos'ee Broussard. She and Jacques always assumed they would marry, but when his oldest brother Edouard returns from the war scared both inside and out things change. Jos'ee has always expected she would marry Jacques and both she and Edouard are shocked when father announces the betrothal of Jos'ee and Edouard the eldest son. Edouard thinks he wants nothing more than to be left alone but finds that he's beginning to care for Jos'ee. The journal Jos'ee finds written by Capucine helps her find strength to love Edouard even when he doesn't want to be loved. It is only when he thinks he has lost her that he is willing to admit his love for her. This is a beautifully written story and caught my interest from page one; I could hardly wait to turn the page to see if Jos'ee and Edouard could truly come to love each other. As the couple struggled to find love for each other I felt their pain. This is a wonderful story and my favorite of this anthology. The characters jump off the page and demand that you come to know them. This book teaches lessons of commitment and love. "Language of Love" by Janet Lee Barton "Language of Love" is a beautiful story written about a man that does not like change. Nicholas LeBlanc has seen terrible things at war. He returns to a changed family, his papa has died, his sister in law is expecting and Suzette the new schoolteacher is living with his family. Suzette is teaching the children to speak English instead of Cajun. It seems like too many changes too fast. Nicholas knows Suzette has been a blessing to his family a

Capucine: Home To My Heart, Janet Spaeth Capucine Louet and her sister Aliette were taken from their mother and their home in Acadia. Their father was killed by the British and the sisters were shipped to a convent in New York. They haven't seen their mother since. Capucine keeps a journal of what has happened. Now the sisters are back home in New Oreleans,determined to find their mother if she is still alive. Michael LeBlanc is also Acadian. He's attracted to Capucine, but he's a Christian, and Capucine's heart is so full of hatred for the British there's no room for love. Joie DeVivre by Lynette Sowell Fifty years have passed and it's Jos'ee Brossard's eighteenth birthday. the LeBlanc family has raised her and she loves them all, except Edouard, the oldest son. Wounded in the war, he has a limp, a scarred face, and lives a quiet life in his secluded bayou cabin. She's half afraid of him. Then Papa Leblanc makes an unexpected announcement, the betrothal of Jos'ee to Euodard. In two weeks the priest will marry them and there's nothing they can do about it. Jos'ee finds comfort in Capucine's journal. Language of Love by Janet Lee Barton Nicholas LeBlanc has just returned from the war. It's December, 1918 and he's happy to be back with his family at Bayou Teche. his father has died, his mother hasn't recovered from the loss, and his brother-in-law's little sister, Suzette, has moved into his house, living with his mother, sleeping in his room. He moves to the cabin. To his dismay his beloved Cajun language is being banned by the government and Suzette, the local schoolteacher, is teaching the children English. Nicholas doesn't like the changes in his life. Then he finds Capucine's journal. Dreams of Home by Kathleen Miller Justin LeBlanc has raised four sisters and just married off the last of the brood. He's ready to hit the road on his motorcycle, with his laptop, sleep in cheese motels, and eat bologona sandwiches for breakfast. After all the years of being responsible for his sisters, he's free. His biggest problem at the moment is the bossy lady photographer taking wedding pictures. Lucy Webber, photographer and owner of Lucy's Lens, the new photography shop in town, grew up as a military brat, traveling all over the world. All she wants now is to settle down, and she likes Bayou Teche. Amanda, Justin's sister, tries to play matchmaker, but there is no way the professor who wants to rome and the lady photographer who wants to put down roots can agree on anything. Time to check out Capucine's journal. Bayou Brides spans four generations of couples, with four very different stories by four talented writers. If you like romance, you'll like this one.