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Cargando... Song of Batochepor Maia Caron
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Louis Riel arrives at Batoche in 1884 to help the M#65533;tis 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."This passionate retelling uses women's eyes to reveal the hidden history behind Riel and Gabriel Dumont. Deeply researched, and rooted in the soil of Batoche." - Marina Endicott, author of the Giller-nominated Close to Hugh"Combining fine research and engaging storytelling, Song of Batoche is a stirring fictionalized account of events in and around the 1885 North-West Resistance. Josette Lavoie is an intriguing and memorable heroine." - Katherena Vermette, author of the The Break and winner of the Governor General's Award No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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Google Books — Cargando... GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999Clasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:
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Many of the characters in this book are based on real people but the central figure of Josette Lavoie is fictional according to the author’s Acknowledgments. Nevertheless she seems like a real person as Caron describes her. She was raised in the Red River Settlement and educated by nuns and priests in the Catholic church there. It was expected that she would become a nun but Josette could never really believe in the religious teachings. Her father was a supporter of Riel’s when he staged the first Riel Rebellion in 1870 and he was killed by soldiers after Riel’s government executed Thomas Scott. So Josette holds no love for Riel. When Gabriel Dumont goes to Montana to ask Riel to return to the Metis settlements on the Saskatchewan River to force the Canadian government to acknowledge their rights Josette is not interested in supporting Riel. Nevertheless when Dumont returns with Riel and his family she gets drawn into the cause. Her marriage is foundering as her husband Norbert is a violent man who cares little that Josette would die if she got pregnant again. Dumont loves his wife but he is drawn to Josette and appoints himself as her guardian against Norbert. Of course he is busy as Riel’s chief aide trying to gather support from other Metis communities and the Indian bands of the region. As they wait for word from Macdonald’s government about the reaction to their petition the communities go through a hard winter on the edge of starvation. It seems inevitable that when Macdonald sends troops to the area instead of negotiators Dumont will become the war chief. Riel waxes hot and cold about fighting. His mental fitness is questionable but he is still the saviour the Metis look toward. Josette thinks that Dumont would do a better job as the leader but Dumont is fiercely supportive of Riel. In the end the small band of Metis led by Dumont is overwhelmed by the superior numbers and firepower of the government troops but they did manage to hold off the soldiers for some days. Riel surrenders and Dumont heads off to the US. Norbert Lavoie was killed in the final action so Josette is left to raise her family in Batoche alone. That’s not quite the end of the story but I’m not going to reveal that.
Caron did an excellent job fleshing out the details of this piece of Canadian history; you can see that things could have gone differently if people on both sides had acted with concern for human rights and the rule of law. I am very glad I read this book and I hope Maia Caron will write more. ( )