The Girl in Saskatoon

A Meditation on Friendship, Memory and Murder

By Butala, Sharon

Price:	$27.95
On Sale:	24/03/2008
Formats: Hardcover

buy The Girl in Saskatoon: A Meditation on Friendship, Memory and Murder

Book Description

In 1961, Alexandra Wiwcharuk was found murdered on the banks of the Saskatchewan River. As Sharon Butala writes, all of Saskatoon “came to a stop,” stunned by the brutal death of an attractive young woman who was a graduate nurse and had been crowned a beauty queen in local pageants. The murder became a touchstone moment for Saskatoon. More than 40 years later, it still haunts the residents, especially those who, like Butala, were Alexandra’s friends.

Compelled by her memories of Alex and her time, Butala returns to that still-unsolved murder. In The Girl in Saskatoon—a title taken from a song that Johnny Cash sang to Alex at a concert only months before her death—she faces the horror of those past events to create a portrait of friendship and remembrance, of a time when life appeared so much simpler. Written in Butala’s intimate, eloquent style, The Girl in Saskatoon is at once an in-depth investigation of a tragic death, a nostalgic coming-of-age story and an exploration of the nature of good and evil.

Author Extras

Butala, Sharon Biography

Reading Guides:

Critical Praise for The Girl in Saskatoon

“A meditation so hauntingly intense that it will touch and connect all those who read it.”

— The Globe and Mail

Reader Reviews from FirstLook

I found this book to be very moving and sad. Sharon Butala let the reader get to know Alexandra Wiwcharuk and her memory will live on with each of us that has read this book even though we did not personally know her.

— Doris (Maple Ridge, BC)

I was enthralled by this book. I was happily surprised at the direction that the book took -- not at all as I had expected -- yet it was the best way and the way that made much sense. This was a carefully thoughtful account on not just one persons life and death but truly many peoples -- and how a life and death can change so many. Bravo!!

— Shelley (Abbotsford, BC)

The author juxtaposes her own life with the life of her school mate, Alexandra Wiwcharuk who was murdered in her early 20's. Butala brings the reader into the minds and hearts of the many people who have been touched by this unsolved murder. A haunting read!

— Laurie (Bracebridge, ON)

This book is as much an exploration of the author's youth and the paths she has taken as it is a search for the truth about the life -- and death -- of a young woman whose brutal murder has been left unsolved within a web of secrets and lies to this day. It is a compelling read, one that will make you look back at all the different ways in which you were formed by your youth and heritage and by the choices made.

— Siobhan (Thunder Bay, ON)

Knowing nothing about the murder before first cracking open the book, the story grabbed my interest from the very first page. I found it very hard to put the book down before I was finished and was intrigued and fascinated by the terrible story. Great read!

— Alexandra (Waterloo, ON)

A brillant read. It gave me chills to read it, yet I couldn't put it down. Definitely a must-read.

— Jodie (Regina, SK)

ISBN: 9780002007207; ISBN10: 0002007207; Imprint: ; On Sale: 24/03/2008; Format: Hardback; Trimsize: ; Pages: 256; $27.95; Ages: 1 and Up

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