“Jonathan Gosnell sets out on no less than an archeological expedition, one that reveals a treasure trove of information on a crucial yet underexplored facet of American identity. At a moment in history when questions of nativism, ethnicity, and identity are increasingly defining debates on both sides of the Atlantic, readers will be stimulated by these intellectual excavations, moved by the often unexpected discoveries and inspired by the latitude of creolizations that are the logical outcome of the twists and turns this journey has taken through the centuries.”—Dominic Thomas, Letessier Professor of French and Francophone Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles and author of Africa and France: Postcolonial Cultures, Migration, and Racism“By exploring the complexity of the question `Is memory of a distant French past enough to sustain a Franco-American present and future?’, Jonathan Gosnell provides a broad, engaging, and well-documented analysis of the resilience of the French presence in North America.”—Bénédicte Mauguière, professor of French and Francophone studies at Colby College and author of Cultural Identities in Canadian Literature“While contemporary textbooks of French include references to the U.S. Franco-American and Cajun cultures, there is no single volume that can provide teachers with the background and greater depth they need to teach their students.”—Eloise A. Brière, professor of French studies at the University of Albany and editor of J’aime New York, Second Edition: A Bilingual Guide to the French Heritage of New York State
