HOME AT LAST

Title: GACHGS meeting Date: Tuesday May 28, 2013
Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm (GMT-06.00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Location: St. John the Baptist Parish Library, 2920 HWY 51, LaPlace, LA

Notes: What a great meeting is planned for May 28th!!

In the summer of 1755 English soldiers rushed into the Martin cabin in Nova Scotia, with guns drawn. It was the beginning of an 11 year ordeal that took the Martin family from Canada, to the American colonies, to the Acadian Coast of Louisiana. Their story is told in Home at Last: An Acadian Journey, by Ollie Porche Voelker of Destrehan..

Mrs. Voelker states in "The Times-Picayune" article that while travelling to Nova Scotia visting the places of her ancestors she noticed that there were not a lot of writings on this subject for children ages 8-16, so she decided to begin her writing. Mrs. Voelker is a retired teacher as well as educational diagnostician, and her works of non-fiction have appeared in Nature Friend magazine for ages 8-16.

In "Home at Last - An Acadian Journey", Voelker called on her rich supply of family history and research to show the Martin family s journey as they go from an idyllic life farming in Canada to one of poverty in Maryland, and their struggle to reach the untamed land of what is now St. John and St. James parishes, as chronicled by oldest son, Pierre who is 11 years-old when their troubles begin.

Pierre paints a vivid picture as he longs for his old life.
Mrs. Voelker created the maps included in "Home at Last - An Acadian Journey" and shot the cover photograph along Airline Highway. Her daughter, Heidi Voelker and granddaughter, Tess Davis, supplied additional artwork.

Home at Last: An Acadian Journey, is available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon online.