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Ethel C. Brill (1877–1962)

Author of Madeleine Takes Command

9 Works 727 Members 1 Review

About the Author

Works by Ethel C. Brill

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Common Knowledge

Other names
Brill, Ethel Claire
Birthdate
1877-01-19
Date of death
1962-11
Gender
female
Nationality
USA
Birthplace
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
Places of residence
Minnesota, USA
Education
University of Minnesota (AB|1899)
Occupations
writer
book reviewer
historical novelist
Short biography
Ethel C. Brill was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the youngest of three children of Anna Sheldon and William S. Brill. Her father and his brother Hascal Russell Brill were English-speaking Canadians from Québec who emigrated to Minnesota in about 1860. Ethel graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in literature in 1899, a noteworthy achievement for a young woman of her generation. At the time of her graduation, she was working as a book reviewer for a local newspaper, specializing in books pertaining to the geography and history of Minnesota and the Great Lakes regions. She is best known for her historical novel Madeleine Takes Command (1946), based on a true story of colonial French Canada of the 1690s. Her other meticulously researched books, whether novels or more factual accounts, all show a similar deep interest in the history of the Northwest. She wrote book reviews for various publications over the course of her career.

Members

Reviews

I really hate child prodigies in fiction. When some snot nose punk saves the day while all the adults stand around drooling, I just want to close the book and toss it. This book, however, is the child prodigy done right. Maybe it's because the story is true. The Madeleine of the title is Madeleine de Vercères, who lived in Quebec--or New France, as they called it--back in the late 17th Century. Her family lived in and oversaw a manor house and fort on the St. Lawrence River. It was a time when there was frequent skirmishes between the French settlers and the Iroquois Indians. Things had been peaceful for a season in their area, and folks around the fort were pretty relaxed. One day when Madeleine's father was off with the army and her mother had gone to Montreal to conduct some business, a band of Iroquois attacked. There were ten soldiers assigned to the fort, but only two happened to be in the fort when it fell under seige. Madeleine was the eldest member of her family at home and, despite the fact that she was only fourteen, assumed the responsibility of protecting the families that were able to reach the safety of the fort. It was a heroic tale, with the victory won not by any particular genius of the child, but rather through her determination and honor. Y'all should definitely check this one out.
--J.
… (more)
½
 
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Hamburgerclan | Jan 24, 2007 |

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Statistics

Works
9
Members
727
Popularity
#34,931
Rating
3.8
Reviews
1
ISBNs
12

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