Books of Interest - St. Denis: A French-Canadian Parish

While Horace Miners book, St. Denis: A French Canadian Parish was published over 70 years ago, much can still be gleaned from its contents describing daily life in St-Denis parish, Richelieu County, Quebec. The book was of interest to me as my great-grandfather Francois Chenette and grandfather Frank A. Shenette were born in St-Denis and my grandmother Marie L. Comeau was born in the neighboring town of St-Ours. Miner's book provides a glimpse of life as it was in St-Denis and it's environs in earlier times. Chapters include information on the history of the town, the land and it's people, kinship and the family, the role of religion, life according to the annual calendar, as well as the childhood condition, married life, and mourning rituals. Appendices include age-sex distribution of the population of St-Denis in 1936, traditional cures and remedies, the "autobiography of a habitant," old and new traits in St-Denis. A bibliography and index are included.

Miner, Horace. St. Denis: A French-Canadian Parish; Chicago: University of Chicago, Phoenix Books, 1963, 1939.