Abstract:
Douai, France, is known for the bells of the carillon that reside in the tower that overlooks the town. To the people of Douai, it is as if the bells are fellow citizens that guide them with their spirit. When young Jacqueline and Henri fell in love, it was the bells that brought them together, and it was the bells that formed their lives. Foreign soldiers, seeking to rule Douai, took down the bells and recast them with a plan of evil intent. The spirit of the bells thwarted their efforts. Still, the beloved bells had been removed from the tower and Jacqueline is compelled to do her best to restore them. As Jacqueline grows from girl to woman, she cannot know that forces and events far beyond her knowledge and imagination are joining her efforts. Stubbornly refusing to give into the helplessness, and the occasional ridicule of her fellow townspeople, she spends decades believing that the bells would one day be lifted up again.The passion, and the will of a solitary woman, along with the spirit of the bells, brings surprise to an entire town. It might just be more than they can endure.