Wild Stone Heart : An Apprentice in the Fields

by Sharon Butala

Like its phenomenally popular predecessor, The Perfection of the Morning , Wild Stone Heart has once again touched a chord with Canadian readers, becoming another #1 bestseller. It's no wonder -- this resonant and deeply moving exploration of a seemingly ordinary field in southwest Saskatchewan is at once an ancient mystery, a lyrical journey between past and present, a fascinating lesson in natural history, and a woman's intimate search for her own place in the world. With every book, Butala delicately carves new and uncharted spiritual geography. Wild Stone Heart is no exception, a classic work that will appeal to all of her many fans.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Memoir

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

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

[Janet Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt a bit like reading a diary of a close friend - as Butala describes her connection with the land, the people who lived on the prairie before her and her experience with spirits. At times memoir, at times a summary of her research, the book made me feel nostalgia for the prairies and a connection with the author.

[Friederike Knabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an older review which I reread as I am about to read her new novel, White Rose.

You don't have to know much about Saskatchewan or about the Prairies in Canada to find this book worth reading. Open your mind to the fascinating and magnetic presence of a `field' - not only a field of dreams, but also one of realities, past and present, that reveal themselves over time.

Although a very personal journey of discovery, through time, history, and culture, it is a very engaging journey that you will not regret sharing. On the contrary, Butala's insights and experiences will draw you in and you will explore some important messages for yourself.

The description of the unique landscape in Southeastern Saskatchewan, its flora and fauna is beautiful in itself and worth reading. After finishing `Wild Stone Heart', you will want to visit the `field' yourself. Although you will have learned by then that you will not see what Sharon Butala has learned to see and to discover over many years of visiting this captivating spot. You will have to find your own `field' to discover and re-discover your place in time and in nature. Highly recommended reading: more than once and not only for those who enjoyed `The Perfection of the Morning'

[Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love it when I discover an unknown author-at least unknown to me-while browsing in the public library. Sharon Butala has written 21 works of fiction and nonfiction and received many awards. I can't believe I've never previously come across her work--one explanation is I've been living south of the border and she may not be well-known outside of Canada. Wild Stone Heart is a beautiful, transcendent meander through the Saskatchewan badlands near the Montana border where she previously shared a ranch with her husband. Driving through Saskatchewan, one can be mistaken that its an empty, lonely place. Under Butala's keen observations while walking through a field near her house, she comes across Amerindian tent circles and ceremonial burial areas, indigenous plants, and rocks scoured from faraway places by the glaciers' advance and retreat, absorbing the land's "presence" and contemplating the meaning of "wild." I always love books that weave memoir, science, philosophy, dreams, and spirituality. Wild Stone Heart leaves me thirsting for more on so many levels.

[Gail Sherley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new discovery for me, this Sharon Butala. This book was buried treasure found in a Salvation Army store. There is a bridge for us to walk over she has created. A bridge for those who knew this land in a different way and a bridge for those of us who long to understand why we cannot access it. She is gifted.

[Karen Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gentle genuine and engaging hymn to nature and all that we cannot see.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the Prairies (as I do), struggle with reconciliation (as I do) and want to or have an open heart (as I strive to), this book is for you.

[Fotofan4life · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and sensitive presentation of indigenous spirituality and a respect for the land. Her discussion about animism reminded me of Jeremy Narby's "Intelligence in Nature" (2006)

[Elyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

The way that she describes her life on the Prairies and her journey through exploring and learning about the history of the land she's settled on is told in a way that is surely captivating. However, some of her language and sentence structure is annoyingly poor, and her use of the word "Amerindians" drives me crazy. She also refers to Canada as "yet to be discovered" (without my added quotation marks) when talking about historical figures which is also annoying. You can't acknowledge Indigenous people in reverence on one page and then discount the importance of their existence and history and connection to a land prior to European contact in another. I did really like taking a journey through the fields with her though, I could picture everything she wrote of as if I were there. And she does try to seek out the politically correct terms and root meanings to the plants, language, and overall history of Indigenous peoples. I also appreciate her exploration of the political, bureaucratic, and capitalistic side of farming. However, her battle with the semantics of "wild", "wilderness" and "wildness" could have been more succinct in my opinion. And her battle with trying to understand indigenous life, history, and tradition is painful. Perhaps this book is merely too outdated for my taste. Perhaps I'm sick of hearing white people romanticize indigenous histories.

[KA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rather narrow memoir, in a way: it is a memoir of a woman's relationship with a field and the flora and fauna--and human dead--she slowly realizes live or lie within it. The dead are Amerindian people of an unknown nation and time, and the memoir delves into issues of colonialism, white guilt, and overcoming guilt and resistance to try to do justice, so far as one can within the bounds of white North American culture and Canadian law. It also depicts one woman's awe and evolving relationship with all that is wild in her southern Saskatchewan home, and her inevitable pondering of what we mean by "wild" and "wilderness." The gradual nature of Butala's ability literally to see what is in the field exactly matches my own evolving ability to see the non-domestic world; I enjoyed seeing this process so faithfully presented in writing, as it is hard to evoke to someone who hasn't taken part in the process. Ultimately, Butala's memoir makes me want to read more by her.

[Della · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the description on the back of this book, I was prepared for what could be a dry read. However, I have an open mind and dove right it as I have a connection with this part of Saskatchewan. I have to say I enjoyed every word of it. The author's words read like poetry.
My husband and I visit the area the author, Sharon Butala, writes about a few times every year. In fact, my husband's family were among one of the first settlers/ranchers/founders of the Maple Creek area in 1883. Southwestern Saskatchewan is truly a beautiful area of Canada. As a result of reading this book, I will keep an eye out for others by Sharon Butala.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very good, as one who appreciates the prairies, I found this book to be mesmerizing. A bit slow to start, but as I read further...I did not want it to end!