The Girl in Saskatoon
A Meditation on Friendship, Memory and Murder
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On Sale:
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09/03/2009
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Formats:
Trade paperback
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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.
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Author Extras
Reading Guides:
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Critical Praise for
The Girl in Saskatoon
“A meditation so hauntingly intense that it will touch and connect all those
who read it.”
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The Globe and Mail
“A striking new book . . . perhaps among the finest in Butala’s impressive
body of work.”
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National Post
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The Girl in Saskatoon
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...
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Lilac Moon
WHAT DOES IT MEAN to be a Westerner? What is the Western experience and, by extension, what makes up the Western soul? In Lilac Moon , Sharon Butala inspires, delights and challenges us to think about the West in fresh ways. Beginning with a day in the life of the real West, she transports us to...
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Real Life
In 1985, Sharon Butala’s first collection of short stories, Queen of the Headaches , was nominated for a Governor General’s Award . Her second, Fever , won the 1992 Authors Award for Paperback Fiction and was nominated for a Commonwealth Award . The publication of Real Life , her newest collection,...
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