Marie-Anne: The Extraordinary Life of Louis Riel's Grandmother

by Maggie Siggins

Compulsively readable, this first social history of the opening up of the Canadian West is a triumph of historical detective work and gives us Siggins at the top of her game.

While researching the biography of Louis Riel, Maggie Siggins became aware of a figure lurking in the background who had had a profound influence on the great Canadian reformer. This was his grand-mother Marie-Anne Lagimodière, née Gaboury. As Siggins’ research progressed, she came to regard Marie-Anne as the most exceptional Canadian woman of the nineteenth century. The perils of Laura Secord and Susanna Moodie paled in comparison, yet she remains largely unknown.

Beautiful and rebellious, Marie-Anne was still unmarried at twenty-five — unheard of in 1800s Quebec habitant society. Furthermore, once she did marry Jean-Baptiste Lagimodière, she insisted on accompanying her fur trapper husband to the uncharted wilderness of western Canada. The year was 1807, and no European woman had yet ventured west of the Great Lakes region. For the next thirty years, she would live among the native people or at fur-trading forts from Pembina to Edmonton House, leading an undoubtedly difficult life but one with freedoms unknown to women in western societies of her time.

Drawing from primary sources, Siggins paints a vivid portrait of life in the West, from survival on the plains and bison hunts to the tribal warfare triggered by the fur-trade economy. Through it all, Marie-Anne survived and thrived, living to ninety-six, the matriarch of a large and diverse family whose descendants still live in Manitoba.

Genres: History, Biography, Canada, Nonfiction

328 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2008

Reviews

[Kimberley Fyfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative read on an important slice of Canadian history. Siggins has a tendency to jump from historical discourse to supposed dialogue and would have served the memory of Marie-Anne better by bringing her to life through the prose of historical fiction. The dense history Siggins dug up from her research sometimes got in the way of the story of an amazing and determined woman.

[Amethyst Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just plain amazing. I cannot recommend highly enough this wonderful book.

[Julie L · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's unlikely that I would have read this but that I am a direct descendant of Marie Anne and Jean Baptiste (through Reine). This book is really amazing in that it puts together a story based on very little existing info. My dad grew up hearing some of these stories from his grandfather. Siggins does an excellent job in putting together the historical situation unfolding around Marie Anne and incorporating the few stories that we still know from her, but it can be dry at times (understandable). The account of the trip from Quebec to Western Canada is especially amazing. I wish we knew more about these 2 amazing lives.

One thing that is interesting to me is that Siggins says about JB's country wife and their children that "they are not heard about in the record again." However, I know that around 2006-7 there was a Lagimodiere-Gaboury "reunion" in Winnipeg and some of the direct descendants of these Metis children were there. So it would seem there was at least some contact after the situation unfolded in the book, documented or not.

Thank-you to Siggins for putting together this history.

[Andrea Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I used Google maps to follow Marie-Anne & Jean-Baptiste's journey.
They are my great, great, great, great, great, Great Grandparents.
I am a direct decendant of their son Romaine Lagimodiere
His Son Louis Lagimodiere
Louis' daughter Eleanore Larence (nee Lagimodiere)
Her daughter Marie Melanie Agnes Larence (nee Lagimodiere)
My Ma-mère (Great Grandma) Delia Menard (nee Bedard)
My "Happy"(Grandfather) Donald Menard
My mother, Donna Holenski (nee Menard) and of course, Me.
It was fascinating to read of their journeys and realize how close I live to a lot of the places they settled in Mb.
I'm looking forward to reading Maggie Siggins book on Louis Riel (my cousin of sorts)

[Gori-tor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting to read about the life and times of Marie-Anne and her husband. This book was well-researched, and there were many other historical figures mentioned that I'd like to read more about as well.

The book follows her life chronologically, but it also jumps around to different events and conflicts between tribes vs. traders, and tribe vs tribe. This sometimes makes the book feel fragmented. I think it would have helped the reader if the book was more focused and explained the significance of various events to Marie-Anne. Sometimes it seemed like the book wandered off and I didn't know how an event/story related to Marie-Anne or why it was included in the book.

Anyways, all and all an interesting read, and made Canadian history seem quite adventurous!

[Mark Edlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography - this author was written several books about Louis Riel. She now tackles the fascinating story of Marie-Anne Lagimodiere. One of her children was the mother of Louis Riel. Marie-Anne marries Jean-Baptiste and to everyone's surprise, not in the least her husband, decides to go out west with her husband. Her journey, her life and her survival make for an interesting story. It is fascinating to read how the seeds for the Riel Rebellion were planted by ignorant Hudson's Bay Company proctors, racist British royalty and the desperate need to pursue furs over farming.
Canadian references - set in Canada, duh.
No pharmacy references.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

History of the NWC + HBC with the main character, Louis Riel's grandmother Marie-Anne in 1807. We read of wars with the Natives/Metis and their wars with each other. Area north of present-day Winnipeg/Edmonton. Maps are nearly useless.

[George Hodgson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good little read. Very easy to see and understand where the roots of the metis uprising began.

[Christy K. Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource! Lots of colourful descriptions and details about the time & life. Easy to read, not too heavy.

[Venita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lot of the Marie- Anne story but a good lesson in Canadian history and from a number of perspectives. Siggins writes very well but I found myself skimming some sections.

[Eleanor Cowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generously seasoned with all manner of quotations about Quebec and Canadian history, such as "To a great extent, Canada was built on the back of the beaver," (J.M.S. Careless) author Maggie Siggins introduces us to 26 year old Marie-Anne Gaboury, servant to the local priest who teaches her to read and write. We learn that she has a mind of her own, and unlike most young women of her time, beautiful Marie-Anne elects not to marry simply because she is asked.

This book teaches Canadian history and explains how one generation profoundly impacts the next. I recommend it to genealogists and historians interested in the early fur trade with the First Nations, and women's studies programs. I'm more knowledgeable about my own country now.

Eleanor Cowan, author of : A History of a Pedophile's Wife: Memoir of a Canadian Teacher and Writer

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Siggins' writing, but this one was not as satisfying for me. I think it was because of the sparseness of her resources, as there is not a lot of written documentation of her life.
I as well, think that the perspective was from that of the settlers, especially the Selkirk settlers. My understanding from other reading, is that the Red River was already settled and being farmed by Metis farmers before Selkirk took it over, divided it and gave it to his settlers.
However, there were some fascinating stories and details about Marie-Anne's travels with her fur trading husband, and her bond with the first Nations women she came to know.

[JEAN-PHILIPPE PEROL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bien écrit, bien documenté, ce livre dresse avec précision le cadre de la colonisation des terres de l Ouest Canadien par les trappeurs quebecois et le peuple métis. En nous montrant combien Marie Anne Gaboury fut une grande aventuriere et une femme de caractère, on comprend au fil des pages comment son petit fils fut capable de lever l'étendard de la revolte des francophones du Manitoba et du Saskatchewan. Même trahi puis pendu par les anglais, Louis Riel reste un symbole du courage et de la quête de liberté qui anima sa grand mère.

[Edith · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'avais parfois l'impression de lire une bio de Shakespeare avec les suppositions ;) mais quelle vie passionnante! J'ai lu la traduction française et il y avait quelques bizarreries. J'ai vu un "Alexander Henry the younger" passer. (Au lieu de le jeune comme mentionné auparavant.) Et 1 ou 2 structures un peu boiteuse. À part cela, la vie de Marie-Anne est passionnante et très intéressante.

[Lise Champagne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historically speaking, it was great. I found that the book was more about general history rather than on Marie-Anne and it just kind of ends when her children are small and there is nothing more on her life after that. If it's supposed to be about Marie-Anne, the focus should have been on Marie-Anne.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading stories about the trials that early settlers/pioneers went through to establish our country. That this is a story about Louis Riel's grandmother just adds another layer. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Had a hard time putting it down. Those women were TOUGH!

[John Horrigan]

None of the Chapter links in the Kobo version of this book work properly. Some are closed loops where the last page of a chapter leads you back to the first, others put you several chapters back.

[Helene Vinet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good history book.It was an eye opener on the life of the settlers,very informative.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about Marie-Anne, though I wished Maggie Siggins had done her entire story as opposed to just the first few years.