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Artscene Oakville Beaver · FRIDAY, March 2, 2007 30 Armstrong pens tale of pioneer feminist Historical fiction is based on author's great-great-great grandmother By Krissie Rutherford ancestral matriarch," Armstrong writes in her book, published by Random House. "For as long as I can remember, I've tried She ran away with her lover ­ the fami- to imagine the real life Charlotte Taylor ly's butler ­ at age 20. Days later, he died of lived and, more, how she ever survived." yellow fever. It wasn't just that Taylor lived a unique That left Charlotte Taylor pregnant and life for her time that made Armstrong want alone in the West Indies. It was 1775. to tell her ancestor's story. It was also that "She was remarkable in every way," said she lived through some of the lesser-known author, activist and veteran journalist Sally Canadian history. Armstrong. "She was in the front row of history with "She picked herself up, in what I can only the Acadians, the Mi'kmaq (natives), the imagine were catastrophic situations, and British settlers, the American patriots, and I went on to live an incredible life." wanted to tell that story," said Armstrong. The first female settler of the Miramichi "I feel the history of New Brunswick has ­ located in what's now been written mostly from northern New Brunswick "We owed our very a Loyalist point of view," ­ Taylor "continued to existence to her, and the she added of the play her cards throughAmericans loyal to the out her life," Armstrong anecdotes the older British, who settled in says, until she died in her generation told suggested Canada before and during that their own fortitude 80s. the American Revolution. In her lifetime, and guile were family "I think the history Charlotte Taylor Blake traits passed down from doesn't pay enough attenWishart Hierlihy had tion to the Mi'kmaq point three husbands and 10 the ancestral matriarch." of view, the Acadian point kids. She lived through of view, the pre-Loyalist Excerpt from Sally Armstrong's the wars, epidemics and point of view. I don't think land battles of Canada's The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor it pays enough attention early settlement. to the effect of the The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor, American revolution on new Brunswick, or Armstrong's third and recently published the British American war." book, tells of the woman the author calls Taylor lived through those times. A pre"one of Canada's first feminists." Loyalist, she married two pre-Loyalists and It's historical fiction based on a true one Loyalist. Armstrong also believes her story, and one Armstrong knows well. Taylor ancestor had a life-long relationship with an is her great-great-great grandmother, some- Aboriginal man. one she grew up hearing stories about while "I wanted to have Charlotte as the vessel visiting family in New Brunswick. that heard all the sides to really flesh out "We owed our very existence to her, and this history," Armstrong said. "I believe she the anecdotes the older generation told sug- had a front row seat in what many of us gested that their own fortitude and guile haven't paid much attention to." were family traits passed down from the OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER See Author page 33 REWRITING HISTORY: Sally Armstrong, celebrated journalist and author, just published her third book: The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor. It's the story of Armstrong's great-great-great grandmother, who lived a remarkable life and is considered one of Canada's first feminists. H1116378