A century-old mystery has finally been brought to light with the launch of The Miracle Maid, a book by local author Thom Racine.
The book delves into the life of Albertine Lapensée, a 17-year-old hockey sensation from Cornwall whose exploits on the ice captivated crowds during the Great War before she vanished without a trace. “The fact that she was such a prolific hockey player a hundred years ago and that this city knew nothing about her — no recognition, nothing — made me question why,” Racine said. His research, spanning more than a decade, uncovered unexpected clues that turned the project into a cold case investigation.
Albertine, nicknamed “The Miracle Maid,” played full-contact, competitive hockey for the Cornwall Victorias in the Eastern Ladies Hockey League during World War I. “She played 28 games over two seasons and scored 123 goals. Yet she was never recognized in her hometown,” Racine said. Her games in Montreal and Ottawa drew thousands of spectators, as fans flocked to see the young hockey star in action.
Women’s hockey during that time was a rare spectacle, as most men were fighting overseas and arenas were struggling financially. “The arenas were dark, not making money, and entrepreneurial managers decided to try a women’s league,” Racine explained. “It took off because it was the only game in town. The level of competition was high, and the rules were the same as men’s hockey — hitting included.”
Despite her rapid rise to fame, Albertine disappeared in 1917, the same weekend that Canadian troops stormed Vimy Ridge in France. What happened to her has been the subject of speculation for decades. “When I reached out to her relatives, they wouldn’t talk. It was like a cloak-and-dagger exercise. I knew there was a story, but no one wanted to tell it,” Racine revealed.
Warning: The following paragraphs contain major revelations about Albertine Lapensée’s life. If you wish to avoid spoilers, stop reading now and discover the story through the book.
Racine’s breakthrough came when he found a great-nephew of Albertine, who shared family secrets that had been kept for over a century. “All he could tell me was what his father had passed down — that Albertine lived a strange life, and when she was almost 19, something happened to her body. And she disappeared.”
Further research led Racine to a stunning conclusion — Albertine transitioned and lived the rest of her life as a man. “It was a natural transition, long before medical advancements. She woke up one day and realized everything had changed. In 1917, announcing that you were no longer the person people thought you were would have been unthinkable. She left her life behind and disappeared.”
The book explores not only Albertine’s career but also the challenges of living in an era with little understanding or acceptance of gender identity. “This story resonates today because of the discussions around gender and identity. People may say she was a fraud or knew what was happening all along, but in reality, she was simply born the way she was and had no control over it.”
Racine’s research led him to Albertine’s later life under a new name. “She lived in New York for years before eventually returning to Canada, though not to Cornwall. She couldn’t risk being recognized,” he said. “When I contacted her granddaughters, they were shocked. One of them told me, ‘I knew something wasn’t right. When he died, I asked why he changed his name and moved to New York, and my aunt told me not to talk about it.’”
With The Miracle Maid, Racine aims to give Albertine the recognition she never received. “She was a hockey icon who changed the game, and her story deserves to be told.” Lapensée left Cornwall 108 years ago, but with the release of The Miracle Maid, she has finally come home.
