Fever

by Sharon Butala

When her husband suddenly becomes ill, a woman realizes, to her horror, that a part of her wishes he would die and free her from a worn-out marriage. Such is the premise of the title story. Courageously writing about emotions that most other authors instinctively bury under layers of shame or fear, Sharon Butala's collection of 16 vignettes about the inner lives of women captured rave reviews from critics when it first appeared in hardcover.Breathing life into every page, she magically creates stunning emotional moments without excessive show or ornament. Butala, a native of rural Saskatchewan, was a nominee for the 1986 Governor General's Literary Award and winner of the Books in Canada First Novel Award. She was awarded a silver medal at the 1991 National Magazine Awards.There are hard truths contained in these stories ... but the fiction itself is so well crafted and compelling that it simply won't let us go". -- The Globe and Mail

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Sharon Butala (born Sharon Annette LeBlanc, August 24, 1940 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian writer and novelist.

Her first book, Country of the Heart, was published in 1984 and won the Books in Canada First Novel Award.

As head of the Eastend Arts Council she spearheaded the creation of the Wallace Stegner House Residence for Artists in which Wallace Stegner's childhood home was turned into a retreat for writers and artists.[14]

She lived in Eastend until Peter's death in 2007. She now lives in Calgary, Alberta.

She was shortlisted for the Governor General's award twice, once for fiction for Queen of the Headaches, and once for nonfiction for The Perfection of the Morning.

The Fall 2012 issue of Prairie Fire, entitled The Visionary Art of Sharon Butala was dedicated to Butala and her work and influence.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was Butala's first. I wasn't as interested in the themes that she is exploring here; marital breakdown, etc. Some good stories, but not her best collection.

[Kevin Gallan · Rating 4 out of 5]

\\\\\\\very well written storys.