The Aubry sisters carved a niche for themselves in early New Orleans using their wits, their education and their financial acumen to make a better life for themselves and their children.
CAROL MILLS-NICHOL, who received her B.A. from New York University, and her M.A. from Fordham University in French language and literature, has spent the better part of twenty years writing about life in nineteenth century Louisiana. Early on, she devoted her efforts to the study of Jewish immigrants to the state. Later she expanded her research to delve into the lives of the many French immigrants who made their homes in the south during the Civil War. Recently, while visiting a local courthouse, she was captivated by the story of Marie Eglée Aubry, a free woman of color, who boldly stood up for her rights in a society still dominated by the white European male. It was then and there that she decided to devote her next book to Marie Eglée, and to her extended family, who were a fascinating part of the large and influential free colored population which was unique to nineteenth century New Orleans.
