Gabrielle Lacelle
Exile from Acadia:
An Odessey of Loss, Courage and Survival
COMING IN 2026
Title: Exile of the Acadians from Grand Pré Source: Library and Archives Canada/c024549
History is always written by the victors. Rarely do we hear about the people whose lives were destroyed and, in many cases, irrevocably changed. This is a story about one Acadian family and how they overcame insurmountable odds after being expelled from their home. This historical fiction is based on the true story of François and Anne Comeau and their family’s three-year battle to survive while on the run from British forces. Ultimately, it’s a story of love and loss, courage and survival.
A Life-changing Discovery
In 2016, Gabrielle Lacelle visited the Memorial Church at the Grand Pré National Historic Site in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. When she spotted a copy of the original deportation document, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Her ancestors’ names were on the list of men and boys imprisoned in that historical church for a month in 1755, while awaiting the ships to deport them.
Gabrielle knew she had to tell their story.
The Memorial Church on the Grand Pré National Historic Site, Canada’s 16th World Heritage site, inscribed by UNESCO in 2012 and located on the Bay of Fundy’s Minas Basin, Nova Scotia.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
–– Maya Angelou