LEWISTON — Local author Marguerite Roy recently wrote and published a memoir of her mother, a French-Canadian who came to Lewiston in the 1890s.

“Aurore: My Franco-American Mother” mirrors experiences shared by many Francos who settled in Maine in the late 19th century.

Aurore was the youngest of nine children of French-Canadian parents who immigrated to Lewiston. The loss of her mother when Aurore was 2 years old affected her throughout her life; and for her nine children and two stepsons, she became the mother she wished she had had.

At times unconventional, always devoutly Catholic, Aurore triumphed in an environment that was economically difficult and often lonely. Her personal story provides a glimpse into the lives of those French-Canadian families who became known as Franco-Americans and brought a distinct culture to Lewiston.

Roy was born in Lewiston, where she lived most of her life. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Southern Maine while raising four children with her husband, Raynald.

The first chapter of “Aurore: My Franco-American Mother” won first-place awards in the Florida Freelance Writers Association competition, and selections from her book appeared in Down East, Discover Maine, The Family Digest and Out of the Cradle magazines. Other stories have appeared in an anthology published by the Writers of Sun City Center. Roy and her husband now enjoy retirement in Auburn as well as Sun City Center, Fla.