The Lady at Batoche

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Continuing the fine story begun in Soldier Boys, Richards now takes his
two protagonists, both 14, through the remaining military engagements of
the 1885 Riel Rebellion. Tom Kerslake, the bugler of the Winnipeg
Rifles, is grieving the death of his friend, Paddy Flaherty, wounded
during the April 24 Battle of Fish Creek. The book resumes the action on
May 1, the day Paddy, having succumbed to his wounds, is buried. A
distraught Tom finds temporary comfort in the idea of revenge, an
emotion not shared by his older, battle-hardened comrades.

Whereas Soldier Boys was alternately narrated by Tom and Luc Goyette, a
Métis youth, Richards now adds a strong third voice, that of Marie
Larouche, the 14-year-old girl who had previously aided Luc’s escape
from the English forces. Having taken refuge in the Catholic church at
Batoche, Marie finds herself literally in the middle of the action, for,
as the fighting seesaws, she tends wounded Métis and English
combatants. Soldier Boys had introduced a romantic relationship between
Luc and Marie, but now Marie struggles with the question: “Whose bride
am I to be? Luc’s, or Christ’s as a nun?”

The title refers to a vision experienced by Tom and Marie during the
Battle of Batoche. Though the book essentially concludes with the
battle’s end, a final chapter sees the fallen Riflemen’s bodies
returned to Winnipeg for burial, an act that brings closure for Tom.
Richards includes two “setting” maps; a glossary of Cree, Dakota,
French, and military terms; and a “Fact and Fiction” section that
clarifies which aspects of the book were invented. Engaging characters
and a strong story embedded in accurate history make The Lady at Batoche
a must-read for middle years students studying this period of Canadian
history. Highly recommended.