War and the collision of imperial interests are among the forces the characters confront throughout their expulsion from their homeland and their hard-won survival in exile. Evangeline's epic quest to find Gabriel brings her and her companions across North America's colonial wilderness, through the French and Indian War, and into New Orleans' rebellion against Spanish rule. It is the strengths and failings of the individuals that drive this grand tale, leading them to bitter confrontations in their search for connection and struggle for survival in a world torn asunder The legend of Evangeline is still alive in Nova Scotia and Louisiana, where parks, songs, statues, trees, restaurants, and people bear her name.