Encountering Riel

by David D. Orr

Willie Lorimer is a young poetry student who forgot to resign his commission in the Canadian militia. When he is called up to join the fight against the Métis rebel leader, Louis Riel, Willie is scared, but bolstered by his own naïveté. The journey to the heart of the rebellion is long and full of anguish. When the militia reach the West, things go tragically wrong, and their once-heroic cause is marred by the cynical realities of politics, and the harsh realities of war.

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 16, 2017

Reviews

[Madonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my search for stories about Riel I found this novel exquisitely written because it was told from the perspective of a young inexperienced soldier, a young poet growing up in Toronto. He and his fellow soldiers had no idea what they were in fr, ill-equipped and untrained, as they headed out into the insane cold march to Batouche and the rebellion. Riel, from my readings elsewhere, including Joseph Boyden's vivid portrayal of Gabriel Dumont, requested protection of their homes and community from the encroachment of colonizing forces from the East. He never received a reply; history records only ridicule and contempt for the half-breeds. Orr wrote with such heart and depicted the shock and confusion of the soldiers. At one point two of them went to speak with Riel in capture. They were disillusioned, and most of all, sorrowful for the deaths of the young Metis. They also witnessed Riel'mind unraveling near the end of his days.