Song of Batoche

Publisher's Description (Ronsdale Press):
Louis Riel arrives at Batoche in 1884 to help the Métis fight for their lands and discovers that the rebellious outsider Josette Lavoie is a granddaughter of the famous chief Big Bear, whom he needs as an ally. But Josette learns of Riel’s hidden agenda — to establish a separate state with his new church at its head — and refuses to help him. Only when the great Gabriel Dumont promises her that he will not let Riel fail does she agree to join the cause.

In this raw wilderness on the brink of change, the lives of seven unforgettable characters converge, each one with secrets: Louis Riel and his tortured wife Marguerite; a duplicitous Catholic priest; Gabriel Dumont and his dying wife Madeleine; a Hudson’s Bay Company spy; and the enigmatic Josette Lavoie. As the Dominion Army marches on Batoche, Josette and Gabriel must manage Riel’s escalating religious fanaticism and a growing attraction to each other. Song of Batoche is a timeless story that traces the borderlines of faith and reason, obsession and madness, betrayal and love.

Author Biography (Maia Caron's Bio):
Born and raised in the mountains of British Columbia, Maia Caron is the Métis author of Song of Batoche, a historical novel that was #11 on CBC’s 95 must-read books of 2017, CBC’s Historical Novels to Read this Summer list, and was chosen by Raven Reads as their spring 2018 Read for Reconciliation. She has had short stories and essays in The Dalhousie Review, The Nashwaak Review, the Women Awakening series, and Skeptic Magazine. Maia is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation and a citizen of the Métis Nation. She lives in the wild Pacific Northwest.

Resource type: Book (Fiction / Poetry)

Age recommendation: Grades 10-12, Post secondary

Keywords: Metis, Louis Riel, Indigenous Women, Matriarchy, Batoche, Hudson's Bay, Land

Year of publication: 2017

Publisher information: Ronsdale Press