FINDING FORTUNE: The untold story of Rose Fortune
A daughter of runaway slaves, a Black Loyalist, the first Black police officer and a serial entrepreneur, Rose Fortune’s story is now widely available in a newly- released biography, Finding Fortune, by author Brenda J Thompson.
In a follow-up to her bestseller, A Wholesome Horror, and with the blessing of the Fortune descendants, Thompson pieces together the history and the incredible life of Rose Fortune.
Rose, along with her parents, Aminta and Fortune, escaped to Nova Scotia in the 1780s following the promise of a better life – a free life. What they found was a rugged territory with many obstacles, including illness, poverty, famine and death. Rose Fortune was a survivor and went on to do things that women and in particular, women of colour, would never dream of doing.
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“The more I learned about Rose Fortune, the more I wanted to know. How did she become not only the first female police officer in Canada but the first Black police officer as well? Who would have thought that the little town of Annapolis Royal was the home of such an important figure in Canadian history? And to add to all this she was MY great-great-great grandmother.”
Excerpt from foreword written by Maggie O’Donnell, descendant of Rose Fortune.
Thompson explores the life and backstory of Fortune by intertwining creative fiction with research and history. Apart from telling the story of Rose’s achievements, Brenda also provides insight into how Rose’s parents became enslaved and eventually escaped, to provide her a life free of the same fate.
Thompson, who is particularly interested in the social history of Nova Scotia, is grateful to Fortune’s family for supporting this project.
“The story of Rose Fortune has been close to my heart since I moved to Annapolis Royal, I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to tell this story,” says Thompson. “I wanted to tell her story as accurately as possible, giving her the respect she deserves.”
Rose Fortune is a beloved historical figure for the community of Annapolis Royal. Thompson was inspired to write this story when she moved to the area and met the late Daurene Lewis, the first female African-Canadian mayor in Canada and also a descendant of Rose Fortune. Rose has been memorialized in plays, documentary films, monuments, scholarships, buildings and a boat, and now a comprehensive account of her life is finally told in Thompson’s latest book.
Finding Fortune is available in Nova Scotia bookstores and online at SSP Publications and Chapters (chapters.indigo.ca).
About Brenda J. Thompson, author:
Brenda Thompson is an activist living in the Annapolis Valley. She received her Master of Arts from Acadia University in Social Justice and has worked many years for non-profits in the area of human rights. An advocate for the voiceless, she is now self-employed and continues to pursue her passion for writing and social justice.
She is known for her best-selling book, A Wholesome Horror, a book that sheds light into Nova Scotia’s history with private and government-subsidized housing while addressing the misconceptions about the poor.
Media inquiries can be directed to:
Heather Hanson
heather@prhive.ca
902-488-2892