First published in 1955, Oscar Winzerling’s classic work tells the story of the expulsion of the Acadians from their homeland in Nova Scotia and the subsequent journey through America, England, and France that led them to Louisiana. For decades, Acadian Odyssey has remained unsurpassed as a study of the exodus of 1755.
Following their eviction from Nova Scotia by the English, many hundreds of Acadians spent years in various seaport concentration camps in England before reuniting with their fellow exiles in the port cities of France. In 1783, the refugees—still clinging to their identity as an “Acadian Nation”—found a leader in Henri Peyroux de la Coudrenière, who sought to resettle this community in Spanish Louisiana. The ensuing return of the exiles to North America led to the creation of Acadian settlements at the heart of modern-day Louisiana.
Based upon original documents uncovered by the author in European national and private archives, Acadian Odyssey details the history of the Cajun people, whose traditions and beliefs stand as a cultural cornerstone of the state of Louisiana.
OSCAR WILLIAM WINZERLING (1896–1989) a Roman Catholic priest and educator, received his Ph.D. in history from the University of California–Berkeley, where he worked under Lawrence Kinnaird.
A native of Acadiana, CARL A. BRASSEAUX has authored more than thirty books on French North America. He retired from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2010.
