Isle of Canes is the epic account of an African-American family in Louisiana that, over four generations and more than 150 years, rose from the chains of slavery to rule the Isle of Canes. Historically accurate and genealogically significant, this first novel by eminent genealogist Elizabeth Shown Mills is a gripping tale of racial bias, human conflict, and economic ruin told against the backdrop of colonial Louisiana. This novel is the result of more than thirty years of research. To fuel the story, as well as to maintain historical accuracy, the author found and referenced actual family history documents such as baptism records, manumission papers, probate records, land records, book extracts, and more to reconstruct the lives and times of Francois, Fanny, Coincoin, Augustin, and countless other unforgettable characters. But it takes more than documents on paper and microfilm to bring such an epic story to life. Mills' engaging prose puts flesh on the bones and pulls you into the lives and lifestyle of long-ago Louisiana." "A masterpiece. You may never look at American history the same way again" -- Historical Novels Review "Mills is a master story teller, bringing to vivid life untold pieces of our country's history." -- Lalita Tademy, author of New York Time Best Seller Cane River, an Oprah's Book Club Selection Her grandfather had been a king; her parents lived as slaves. At her parents' death, sixteen-year-old Coincoin vowed to restore her family to the status it deserved. One day, her family would rule again. She kept her vow. Strong-willed and resourceful, Coincoin had been trained in the healing arts. She would use that skill and many others as stepping stones to freedom. But the path to keeping her vow was not an easy one. Forsaken by her husband when she would not abandon their children to flee slavery, Coincoin was sustained by a faith that she would one day find a better route to freedom for all of them. When her destiny confronted her in the form of a Frenchman seeking wealth and adventure on the Louisiana frontier, she met it boldly and paid the price it demanded. ... Wealthy, educated, cultured, and proud, Coincoin's descendants would rule the Isle of Canes, but they would be pawns in the cultural battle between Louisiana's Creoles and Anglo newcomers. The Civil War that promised equality took away their identity as a special caste and left them destitute. Then Jim Crow stripped them of the last of their rights. Yet, throughout all indignities, the Isle's Creoles of color never lost their pride, their respect for their heritage--French, Spanish, African, and Indian--or their belief that they were meant to be a bridge across the great American divide between black and white. --From the bookjacket, hardback edition ISLE OF CANES is the epic account of a multiracial family in Louisiana that, over four generations and more than 150 years, rose from the chains of slavery to rule the Isle of Canes. Historically accurate, this first novel by eminent genealogist Elizabeth Shown Mills is a gripping tale of racial conflict, economic ruin, and family pride told against the backdrop of colonial and antebellum Louisiana. Elizabeth Shown Mills is an internationally acclaimed historical researcher and writer who has spent her life studying American culture and the relationships between people--emotional as well as genetic. Featured on BBC, CNN, PBS, and other networks in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, she has guest-blogged for the NEW YORK TIMES and has been widely cited as "the genealogist who has had the most influence in the post-Roots era." Her 13 prize-winning books range from reference works such as "Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace" (Library Journal 2007 Best Reference) to the historical novel, "Isle of Canes," which chronicles a family of freed slaves across four generations, and is drawn from Mills's own research in the archives of six nations.  Her latest work is the greatly enlarged revised edition of the Louisiana State University Press classic, THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE: CANE RIVER'S CREOLES OF COLOR.