After Arabella's father is jailed for his part in the short-lived 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion in Toronto, her mother just cannot cope. The family is ostracized, they lose their home and they have no income — yet Arabella's mother still doesn't take action. So it is up to twelve-year-old Arabella to find new lodgings and to get employment so they have money to live on. And as if that weren't enough to worry about, her older brother Charlie has vanished.

Readers will cheer for the heroine in this "riches to rags" story as Arabella struggles to keep her family afloat while awaiting her father's release from prison. A Rebel's Daughter includes an Historical Note giving readers the cultural context of the Upper Canada Rebellion, a map showing 1837 Toronto, as well as fascinating documents and photographs from this pivotal time period.