Fiddler’s Daughter: Living With Scleroderma

In this autobiography/memoir, Clauda (Martin) Lavertu describes the many challenges in her life. Being brought up with a sometimes difficult father, then in middle age being diagnosed with scleroderma, she persevered with the help of her mother and her faith. The large family was brought up with music, song, and dance, and always stayed close and supported each other. Getting to understand her father and learning to live with a disease, she always found a way to stay strong and to face the challenges head-on. In a small, French-speaking town in New Brunswick, Canada, the large family experienced many happy and fun times but also difficult times with a father who was frequently away for work or playing his fiddle. She grew up fearing her father who sometimes was difficult, but loved his music and jokes. After a very difficult period, during which she lost her mother and had to care for the younger children, Clauda and her family moved to Connecticut where they started their new life. There, the tradition of music, singing, and dancing continued, as they all started their own families. Clauda and her father got to know and understand each other better there too. After the busy years of raising her family, Clauda faced more challenges when she was diagnosed with scleroderma. As she had learned to deal with the challenges of her father, she now had to learn to deal with the challenges of a lifelong disease.

Clauda (Martin) Lavertu was born in a large, French (Acadian) family in New Brunswick, Canada. After the loss of her mother, she had to drop out of school to care for the younger children. The family then moved to Connecticut and she immediately went to work in factories and later started her own family. Her family had a strong tradition of music and song, and she sang wherever she could. She often wrote about events in her life, and after being diagnosed with scleroderma and dealing with medical problems, she decided to write about her life, the people she loves, and how she has dealt with challenges she faced.