Normal 0 21 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table. MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name: "Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;} The booktells the story of Mauritius since the beginning when it was only a wilduntouched paradise made of virgin forests of ebony trees and inhabited by allsorts of birds of which the famous Dodo. Dutch colonization having failed the colons abandoned this island which they hadnamed Mauritius. The French took up the challenge to bring civilization to this Island in themiddle of the Indian Ocean, unknown to thewhole wide world. The book takes the reader through the French colonization period through thepeople living on the Island at this time, French colons and slaves from Africaand their children born on Mauritius, creole slaves. Witness the struggle of these people who gradually build a country onthe new Isle de France, braving the countless difficulties and succeeding toput this little dot on the world map. The story continues in the British colonization period when the French, afterwinning a historical unique naval battle against the British in the famous Grand Portnaval battle do have to surrender and give Isle de France over to the Britishwho rename it Mauritius. The abolition of slavery and the period of apprenticeship where the people whohad toiled as slaves to build this land emerge as free citizens of their newhome Mauritius is related through the lives of Sarlo, Hamon, Pierra, and othercreole slaves born to Isle de France.