The book is 6 x 9 inch sewn paperback with black endpapers. Includes 39 black and white reproductions. The cover includes a full colour reproduction of a painting by Maurice Le Blanc.
In Postcards from Acadie, Barbara Le Blanc explores the cultural and symbolic resonance of the Grand-Pré National Historic site. Settled in the 1680s, Grand-Pré was one of the loci for the Acadian deportation in 1755. From the settlement and deportation of the early Acadians, to the mass marketing of the Dominion Atlantic Railway and the federal reshaping as a National Historic site, Grand-Pré has served "as a historical clue, a focal point, a catharsis, a catalyst, and a motivator, both for Acadians and for others." Excavating the political and cultural symbols that have shaped Grand-Pré, Le Blanc explores the ways in which we negotiate personal and group identity. In Acadian endeavours to direct and control a sense of identity in a changing world, Grand-Pré plays a significant role by serving as a place of heritage commemoration and celebration – of past, present, and future.
Barbara Le Blanc has published numerous articles on Acadian culture in journals and anthologies. From 1988 to 1992, she was the director of Grand-Pré National Historic site and from 1998 to 2001, was the president of the Société Promotion Grand-Pré. She has also served as the president of the Fédération Acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse and the president of the Folklore Association of Canada. She is currently a professor at Université Sainte-Anne in the Education department.
When I met Barbara in 2003, she presented me with a complimentary copy of her book that was hot off the press. I am reading it for the second time. I think that is the best compliment for an author. The manner in which she writes the history of our Ancestors will captivate you. The bibliography is extensive and leads one interested in research to examine some of the documents and sources she writes about. This book is a must for one's Acadian research library.