An embroidery contest is held to award the position, and Sarah cheats. Before Belle can expose her, the two are caught up in the advancing forces of General Middleton and his troops as they surround Batoche in the 1885 Riel Rebellion. The church bell disappeared that day and remains missing to this day.
Jacqueline Guest is the award-winning Métis writer of over a dozen books for young readers. She is the recipient of the Indspire Award for the Arts, formerly the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, and was named to the Order of Canada for her ongoing efforts in the world of literacy. Belle of Batoche is her first story to incorporate family history and her first book for Orca Book Publishers. Jacqueline lives in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia.