THE REFUGEES

THE REFUGEES by SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE is an almost unknown and underappreciated historical novel. A British physician and writer, DOYLE, was the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Professor Challenger, and Sir Nigel. The Refugees was first published by HARPER AND BROTHERS in 1893. The story opens in late 17th-century Paris and Versailles. It follows Amory de Catinat, a loyal Huguenot (Protestant) guardsman in the service of King Louis XIV. De Catinat becomes entangled in dangerous palace intrigues involving the King's mistress, Madame de Montespan, and his secret new wife, Madame de Maintenon. Things take a catastrophic turn when Louis XIV officially revokes the Edict of Nantes in 1685, outlawing Protestantism and triggering immediate religious persecution. Stripped of their standing and facing execution, De Catinat and his family must flee the country. They are aided by Amos Green, a rugged American frontier traveler visiting Paris. The group escapes across the Atlantic ocean, but their hardships only multiply. They endure being stranded on a North Atlantic iceberg and must trek through the perilous wilderness of early Canada, navigating conflicts with hostile Iroquois warriors.