Stolen Life: The Journey of a Cree Woman [Paperback]

Winner of the Writers' Trust Non-Fiction Prize

A powerful autobiography from Yvonne Johnson—the great-great-granddaughter of Cree leader Chief Big Bear.

This is the unforgettable true story of Yvonne Johnson’s early life and a revealing account of injustice toward Indigenous women. After being convicted of murder in 1991, Johnson collaborated with acclaimed writer Rudy Wiebe to journey into her spirit self, to share the conflict and abuse that characterized her life. In the bringing together of Wiebe’s deep insight and Johnson’s poetic eloquence, Stolen Life is a devastating depiction of enduring familial love and, from Wiebe’s perspective, a courtroom drama that unravels the events that led to her conviction. But above all, it is the testimony of a Cree woman who decided to speak out to dispel shame and break the silence that binds.

9780676971965NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Winner of the Writers' Trust Non-Fiction Prize
Finalist for the Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction
Finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for the Best Crime-Related Nonfiction Book
A Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year

A tribute to the human spirit that refuses to give up; to family love that persists in the face of thoughtlessness, repeated violence and denial. —The Globe and Mail

Stolen Life is 'a gift of understanding'—A compelling story infused with hope and spirituality. —The Financial Post

Stolen Life is] the rarest of treasures— an unexpected joy — Here are two friends who prove to one another that individuals can reach across a nation's mistakes, and offer forgiveness &lã.