In Paths of Peril

Twelve-year-old Raoul de Bernon finds the outdoor life of Acadia a welcome change after surviving the siege of La Rochelle. He has lost his parents, and his closest attachment is to his aunt Constance. When she marries Charles de la Tour, Raoul goes with her to Fort St. Louis at Cape Sable, where fishing, hunting and boating fill his days. J. Macdonald Oxley places this adventure for younger readers among the forests, trading routes and fortified settlements of early Nova Scotia.

The story links Raoul's appetite for excitement with the pressures facing his family. Constance visits local communities to teach Christian beliefs and practical household skills, while La Tour's fishing and fur business draws him into rivalry with Charnace. At a new fort on the St. John River, a blockade turns everyday security into a test of resolve. The appeal lies in this close connection between a boy's outdoor freedom and the larger struggles surrounding his home.