Monsieur Durand's Grosse Affaire

By Rose Anne St. Romain

On May 21, 1870, Gerome Charles Durand staged a wedding that is still talked about more than a century after it occurred. Although Durand was one of the wealthiest men in St. Martinville, Louisiana, the fame of his grosse affaire (extravagant event) lies in its originality.

As legend has it, the gentleman was tasked with throwing a double wedding for two of his daughters in Louisiana's Petit Paris. He brought in one million spiders to create webs in the trees along his three-mile-long drive. Then he dusted them with gold and silver to create a shimmering canopy. A tale that gets richer and more embellished with each telling, Durand's extravagant wedding party is based on a true story that has been passed down in Acadiana ever since.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1589808088
• ISBN13: 9781589808089
• Release Date: September 2011
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.7" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3