The forced immigration represented in the novel took place mostly between the years 1717 and 1721. In addition to orphans and convicts—prostitutes, smugglers, criminals, and vagabonds—others came voluntarily, including the German and Swiss farmers who settled the German Coast upriver from New Orleans. Repeated riots in Paris over the forced exile to Louisiana persuaded the monarchy to discontinue its unpopular policy. With a few exceptions, including a shipment of girls to be wed in 1728, immigration of European settlers virtually halted after 1721. The Company of the Indies shipped additional cargoes of African slaves to Louisiana for another decade. (The infamous Code Noir was established to govern the slaves in 1724.) Of the seven thousand Europeans who entered the Lower Mississippi Valley during this time frame, at least half of them either perished or abandoned the colony before 1726.
Though The Mark of the King is a work of fiction, the circumstances with which the characters interact are straight from history. Some of the people mentioned or characterized in this novel are historical figures who really lived, including John Law, whose colonizing scheme included marrying and sending convicts to Louisiana; Sieur Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the Canadian-born governor of the colony; and Adrien de Pauger, the French engineer who came to lay out the streets.
The soldier characters of Marc-Paul Girard, Pascal Dupree, and Benjamin Chevalier were inspired by the terrible conditions the French military endured in Louisiana, especially during the first two decades of the eighteenth century. Barely supported by France, the garrisons would simply not have survived if not for the hospitality of several native nations. Desertion was widespread.
The war between the French and the Chickasaw that took place in this novel is now known as the First French–Chickasaw War. More wars would follow—with the Chickasaw, the Natchez, and even with disillusioned Choctaw—before the French and Indian War broke out between the British and the French and their native allies in 1754.
Other historical events portrayed or referred to in the novel include the famine, the annual gift-giving ceremony in Mobile, the spring flood that dislodged coffins from the levee, the burning of Pensacola, the hurricane in September 1722, the subsequent destruction of the settlement, and Adrien de Pauger’s delight that he could begin working in earnest on what is known today as the French Quarter.
My research for this novel included first-person accounts written by several colonists themselves and dozens of volumes by today’s historians. For those of you as interested in New Orleans’s founding—and her people—as I am, I recommend Building the Devil’s Empire: French Colonial New Orleans by Shannon Lee Dawdy and Indians, Settlers, and Slaves in a Frontier Exchange Economy by Daniel H. Usner, Jr. Those interested in the history of French midwifing might enjoy The King’s Midwife: A History and Mystery of Madame du Coudray by Nina Rattner Gelbart.
I hope you enjoyed experiencing a lesser-known slice of history in this novel. Even more than that, I hope the idea of grace that eclipses judgment is one that resonates with you. If you remember nothing else from this story, remember this: Even those marked by judgment—be it a physical or emotional scar—can be covered by indelible grace.
Discussion Questions
During Louisiana’s early years, France was desperate to send women to the colony. Other than reproduction, what do women contribute to the establishment of a culture?
Julianne’s brand is on her skin, but many of us are marked by invisible scars from pain or judgment in our pasts. Do you believe those scars are also curses? Why or why not?
Think of an event that has marked you in some way. Are you better off now, because of how you’ve grown? Or is it something you’re still striving to overcome?
Marc-Paul thought keeping secrets from Julianne was merciful. Do you think his withholding was truly for her best interests, or for his?
Are secrets ever justified? If so, under what circumstances?
Julianne does not have typical courtship romances. How did Simon show his love for her? How did Marc-Paul?
How does our culture define love today? In what ways does that definition fall short?
In many ways, the French monarchy did not support the colonists in Louisiana’s infancy, but according to Governor Bienville’s writings, the colonists could have worked harder to support themselves as well. Think about our own country. In what ways do we rely too much on our government? In what ways could we do more to better our own lives?
Marc-Paul loves the law but grows to love grace more. How do you see the two fitting together in your spiritual life? In your family?
Francoise advises Julianne to love her enemy not just for his sake but so that her own bitterness will dissipate. What effect do you believe loving your enemy has on you personally?
Lily comforts Julianne by telling her, “I see you.” What difference does it make for you personally when you feel seen and heard? How do you feel when you feel invisible or voiceless?
During the storm, when Pascal is in danger of drowning, Julianne decides that not doing the right thing is the same as doing the wrong thing. Have you felt this way in your own life?
Galatians 6:17 reads, “From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.” What do you suppose it means to bear the brand-marks of Christ? (NASB)
What would it look like for you to have a life marked by grace?
At the end of your days, if you could choose one thing your friends and family remember about your life, what would you want it to be? What would you want them to say your life was marked by?
Acknowledgments
My heartfelt thanks goes to:
The team at Bethany House Publishers, for believing in this story and dedicating their time and talents to bringing it to life, with special thanks to my tireless and brilliant editor, Jessica Barnes.
My agent, Tim Beals of Credo Communications, for his unfailing support and management of my wide-ranging projects.
My incredible husband, Rob, and children, Elsa and Ethan, for sharing me with another book baby; to my parents, Peter and Pixie Falck, and my friend Heather Hruby for help with child care; to my French sister-in-law, Audrey Falck, who spent days translating French documents for my research and answered all my French questions with a willing spirit. Special thanks to both Audrey and my brother, Jason, for planting in my mind the idea that evolved into this book.
My critique partner, Joanne Bischof, for her invaluable help from the brainstorming stage to the edits, and for burning the midnight oil to get it done.
My prayer team, who prayed for every step in the process from the signing of the contract until I wrote the final page.
I am indebted to Bob Thomas, director of Loyola University Center for Environmental Communication in New Orleans, for helping me understand the natural environment in which New Orleans was settled in 1720, and to the incredibly helpful staff at both the State Library of Louisiana in Baton Rouge and the Historic New Orleans Collection—Williams Research Center in New Orleans for bringing treasure troves of information to me. Special thanks to Pastor Tommy and Karen Middleton, for so graciously hosting my family during my research trip.
I owe my thanks to Chief Wesley Harris, for serving as my firearms expert; Jordyn Redwood, for answering my medical-related questions; and Jennifer James, for Paris research help directly from the American Library in Paris.
Most of all, thank you, Lord, for your incredible, indelible grace. May you use this story to bring grace and peace to the hearts of those who read it.
About the Author
Jocelyn Green is an award-winning author of multiple fiction and nonfiction works, including Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives and The Five Love Languages, Military Edition, which she co-wrote with Dr. Gary Chapman. Her first novel in the HEROINES BEHIND THE LINES series, Wedded to War, was a Christy Award finalist and the gold medal winner in historical fiction from the Military Writers Society of America. She and her husband live in Cedar Falls
, Iowa, with their two children and two cats. Her goal with every book is to inspire faith and courage in her readers. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.
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