This novel begins with the Julie Wheelwright's journey to find the burial place of her ancestor, Esther Wheelwright. Wheelwright explains in great detail about Esther’s protestant ancestors, which run deep. The settlement where Esther lived was constantly warring with the Indigenous people living around the area. The Wheelwrights, as explained by Julie Wheelwright had a bad reputation with the Abenaki. When Esther was captured there was no reported attack on her family garrison and she was the only member of the extended Wheelwrights to be captured. Accounts of Esther’s time in captivity either comes from Esther herself in records or from other captives. The settlement in which Esther found herself was mainly Abenaki who had been converted to…show more content… Julie Wheelwright explains how because of her heritage as a puritan, having her convert to Catholicism would break ties with her family, and would show the power of Catholic faith. During this time, Esther’s father had begged for her return to Wells, even though she strongly detested. After debating her decision, Esther began her postulancy with the Ursuline order. Esther took the same Sister Marie-Joseph de l’Enfant Jésus. After being with the Ursuline order, Esther was a catholic educator for young girls. During her early time in the order, her families kept fighting for her return even so much as sending her nephew to attempt to bring her home. When the British invaded Quebec some of the Ursuline’s fled while Esther stayed behind to attend to wounded soldiers. After the war was over and the British had won, the monastery had been left in ruins. Fear that the Ursuline order would either be forced from Quebec or to swear allegiance to the British crown enabling them to practice their religion was evident. Esther, as the newly elected Mother Superior, had this issue to deal
