On Charles's Trail

When Father Charles left his native Belgium in 1854 to spread the faith across the Atlantic, he had no idea that 170 years later, a descendant of one of his brothers would follow in his footsteps.

In 2024, Bruno Lemagie, with a spirit as adventurous as that of his ancestor, decided to make a pilgrimage in his memory. By train or bus, from Bordeaux to Belgian Flanders, from Canada to the Great Lakes region, he followed Charles's story to New Orleans. While meeting archivists helped him progress in his quest, he discovered above all a welcoming America full of contrasts. As the landscapes roll by, his reflections take him on an extraordinary journey, even shaking his own convictions. Many thorny issues in today's society are addressed and, in a mirror image of his ancestor, the author sees his own reflection, confronting him with his own demons. Bruno Lemagie, between introspection, historical research, and analysis of two cultures, offers readers a moment of pause and boundless thought.
Author of Forgotten by God, his quest begins in the family archives and continues in unknown territory.