What do you think?
Rate this book
The First Survivor: Life With Canada's Deadliest Mass Shooter
An unflinching memoir that reframes a national tragedy and demands we reckon with the cost of ignoring intimate partner violence.
On April 18, 2020, Lisa Banfield's life shattered.
After nineteen years in a controlling and often abusive relationship, she escaped a violent assault by her partner, Gabriel Wortman–unaware he was about to carry out the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history. In The First Survivor, Banfield tells her story for the first of being groomed and surviving years of intimate partner violence, and of the horrific night she fled barefoot into the freezing woods as Wortman began a murderous rampage that left twenty-two people and an unborn child dead.
Told with raw honesty and courage, Banfield's memoir is more than a personal account of life with a man she tried to heal–it's a call to action. With intimate reflections and her own transformation, she exposes the failures in how society sees, supports, and judges survivors of domestic abuse.
This is a powerful story of trauma, survival, and one woman's journey reclaiming her voice and redefining her life.
On April 18, 2020, Lisa Banfield's life shattered.
After nineteen years in a controlling and often abusive relationship, she escaped a violent assault by her partner, Gabriel Wortman–unaware he was about to carry out the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history. In The First Survivor, Banfield tells her story for the first of being groomed and surviving years of intimate partner violence, and of the horrific night she fled barefoot into the freezing woods as Wortman began a murderous rampage that left twenty-two people and an unborn child dead.
Told with raw honesty and courage, Banfield's memoir is more than a personal account of life with a man she tried to heal–it's a call to action. With intimate reflections and her own transformation, she exposes the failures in how society sees, supports, and judges survivors of domestic abuse.
This is a powerful story of trauma, survival, and one woman's journey reclaiming her voice and redefining her life.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 24, 2026
"The First Survivor" was only released four days ago and is already the number one bestseller in the True Crime category on Amazon.
There is a reason for its popularity ... people want to understand what went so wrong that her partner, Gabriel Wortman, became the largest mass murderer in Canadian history.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"The what ifs still haunt me. What if I didn't escape to the woods, would those innocent people still be alive? To this day I struggle with survivor guilt, and probably always will."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Lisa's story is the story of every battered and abused woman. The abuse, the belittling, and the coercive control are insidious. Over time she began to believe everything her abuser/partner said about her in private. She was worn done to a shell of her former vivacious self.
In the aftermath of Gabriel Wortman's path of murder and destruction, people wanted, no, needed somewhere to direct their anguish and anger. Unfortunately, Lisa Banfield was an easy target. The anger and vitriol directed toward her was unwarranted. It was Gabriel Wortman who committed the murders, not Lisa. But, he had been shot dead, and people wanted to know "WHY?" Somehow thought answers could come from his abused partner, Lisa.
The fact is that it took Lisa almost six full years to put her truth and her story out into the world. She made it out alive on the night of the massacre but she was not unscathed - physically or emotionally.
There has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the publication of this book. The families of some of the victims claim Lisa is profiting off their pain. I humbly disagree, especially after reading the book. Most of the book's content takes place well before the massacre. Also, I firmly believe that this book might actually save lives.
Like it or not, people will want to read this book. Canada is not known for mass shootings. In the United States it seems like those type of events happen on an almost daily basis, but here in Canada, thankfully, mass shootings are rare. Because of this, Canadians will be interested in reading this book.
By telling her story now, I hope that people's eyes are opened to the epidemic of intimate partner violence.
I hope that the process of writing her memoir helps her to heal. She should be extremely proud of herself for taking back her power from Gabriel and taking back control of her life so that she can begin to heal from NINETEEN YEARS of mental, emotional, and physical abuse.
People who have never experienced domestic or intimate partner violence do not understand the fact that it takes most abused women (and sometimes men) SEVEN attempts before they are able to leave the perpetrator and never return. I, however, have experience with this phenomenon and I can tell you with complete and utter honesty that abusers are master manipulators. They know exactly what to say and do, and what buttons to push to get the person to give them "just one more chance."
I hope this book is read far and wide, not just in Canada, but in the rest of the world.
Reading about the horrific abuse Lisa Banfield suffered may be just the thing that someone needs to push them to escape their own domestic abuse situation.
This book might just save lives.
Once I started reading THE FIRST SURVIVOR, I could not put this book down. I read it in a single day. Lisa's story is told with enough detail that readers cannot fail to empathize with her.
Those who want to know more about the man who became Canada's worst mass murderer will have some of their questions answered, however, some answers Gabriel Wortman took with him to his grave.
I am Rating this book as 5 out of 5 Stars. ☆☆☆☆
To read more of my book reviews, follow my blog at http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Also follow me on Instagram at
http://www.instagram.com/Amiesbookrev...
There is a reason for its popularity ... people want to understand what went so wrong that her partner, Gabriel Wortman, became the largest mass murderer in Canadian history.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"The what ifs still haunt me. What if I didn't escape to the woods, would those innocent people still be alive? To this day I struggle with survivor guilt, and probably always will."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Lisa's story is the story of every battered and abused woman. The abuse, the belittling, and the coercive control are insidious. Over time she began to believe everything her abuser/partner said about her in private. She was worn done to a shell of her former vivacious self.
In the aftermath of Gabriel Wortman's path of murder and destruction, people wanted, no, needed somewhere to direct their anguish and anger. Unfortunately, Lisa Banfield was an easy target. The anger and vitriol directed toward her was unwarranted. It was Gabriel Wortman who committed the murders, not Lisa. But, he had been shot dead, and people wanted to know "WHY?" Somehow thought answers could come from his abused partner, Lisa.
The fact is that it took Lisa almost six full years to put her truth and her story out into the world. She made it out alive on the night of the massacre but she was not unscathed - physically or emotionally.
There has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the publication of this book. The families of some of the victims claim Lisa is profiting off their pain. I humbly disagree, especially after reading the book. Most of the book's content takes place well before the massacre. Also, I firmly believe that this book might actually save lives.
Like it or not, people will want to read this book. Canada is not known for mass shootings. In the United States it seems like those type of events happen on an almost daily basis, but here in Canada, thankfully, mass shootings are rare. Because of this, Canadians will be interested in reading this book.
By telling her story now, I hope that people's eyes are opened to the epidemic of intimate partner violence.
I hope that the process of writing her memoir helps her to heal. She should be extremely proud of herself for taking back her power from Gabriel and taking back control of her life so that she can begin to heal from NINETEEN YEARS of mental, emotional, and physical abuse.
People who have never experienced domestic or intimate partner violence do not understand the fact that it takes most abused women (and sometimes men) SEVEN attempts before they are able to leave the perpetrator and never return. I, however, have experience with this phenomenon and I can tell you with complete and utter honesty that abusers are master manipulators. They know exactly what to say and do, and what buttons to push to get the person to give them "just one more chance."
I hope this book is read far and wide, not just in Canada, but in the rest of the world.
Reading about the horrific abuse Lisa Banfield suffered may be just the thing that someone needs to push them to escape their own domestic abuse situation.
This book might just save lives.
Once I started reading THE FIRST SURVIVOR, I could not put this book down. I read it in a single day. Lisa's story is told with enough detail that readers cannot fail to empathize with her.
Those who want to know more about the man who became Canada's worst mass murderer will have some of their questions answered, however, some answers Gabriel Wortman took with him to his grave.
I am Rating this book as 5 out of 5 Stars. ☆☆☆☆
To read more of my book reviews, follow my blog at http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Also follow me on Instagram at
http://www.instagram.com/Amiesbookrev...
February 16, 2026
I remember like it was yesterday, though coming up on the 6th anniversary. Difficult story to read, it must have taken a lot to relive and write out. Kind of disappointed there weren’t any notes saying any proceeds from book sales were being donated to other victims’ families so was happy to borrow from a local library.
February 3, 2026
Heavy read.
January 27, 2026
Not only was this book an important way for Lisa to be able to share her survival story, but it provided an in depth account on the nuances surrounding why women stay in abusive relationships so long and how the cycle of abuse is maintained. I’m very appreciative for her vulnerability in sharing.
February 21, 2026
I have read difficult books before. Stories of abuse, trauma, and violence. I have never reacted to one the way I reacted to this.
When the narrative shifted into the hour by hour reconstruction of events, something changed for me. Reading the events as they unfolded on the page left me with a heaviness I still struggle to describe. Seeing each moment laid out so precisely made the reality of it impossible to distance myself from. I was surprised by how strongly I reacted. I was not prepared for that level of impact.
This book is not embellished or dramatic in its writing style. Its power comes from proximity. The structure forces you to sit inside the timeline. There is very little space to detach emotionally from what is being described.
I can hold more than one truth at once. The response that day reflected confusion and fear in a province that had never imagined something like this happening. Mistakes were made. Decisions were chaotic. I do not read this story looking for villains.
What unsettled me most was how narratives can shift under institutional pressure. That theme is difficult for me. The way stories are framed and reframed over time carries weight. That aspect stayed with me long after I finished reading.
I recognize that for many families, this story represents permanent and immeasurable loss. Nothing about this book changes that. Their grief is sacred and ongoing.
I will not engage in debate about this book. I can only speak to how it affected me.
This was not a book I “enjoyed.” It was one I experienced. It marked me. I am still sitting with it.
I believe survivors deserve to be heard.
When the narrative shifted into the hour by hour reconstruction of events, something changed for me. Reading the events as they unfolded on the page left me with a heaviness I still struggle to describe. Seeing each moment laid out so precisely made the reality of it impossible to distance myself from. I was surprised by how strongly I reacted. I was not prepared for that level of impact.
This book is not embellished or dramatic in its writing style. Its power comes from proximity. The structure forces you to sit inside the timeline. There is very little space to detach emotionally from what is being described.
I can hold more than one truth at once. The response that day reflected confusion and fear in a province that had never imagined something like this happening. Mistakes were made. Decisions were chaotic. I do not read this story looking for villains.
What unsettled me most was how narratives can shift under institutional pressure. That theme is difficult for me. The way stories are framed and reframed over time carries weight. That aspect stayed with me long after I finished reading.
I recognize that for many families, this story represents permanent and immeasurable loss. Nothing about this book changes that. Their grief is sacred and ongoing.
I will not engage in debate about this book. I can only speak to how it affected me.
This was not a book I “enjoyed.” It was one I experienced. It marked me. I am still sitting with it.
I believe survivors deserve to be heard.
February 3, 2026
Wow. Lisa’s bravery, honesty and resiliency despite all the trauma and backlash she faced is truly inspiring. Her book is very well written and her story gives an invaluable perspective into IPV and the need for change in our justice system to protect victims. So proud of her honesty and vulnerability in order to help support others and I pray that writing this book helped as a part of her healing journey. ❤️
March 9, 2026
Lisa Banfield tells her story with strength and conviction. The hell she lived through and continues to struggle with every day is unimaginable. I was lucky to have met her (and her sister Maureen) at the Moncton Chapters book signing. We exchanged a hug that will be with me forever. In the hug, I could feel the core strength she has that has allowed her to survive and be there for others today. If you have not read her story, I strongly suggest you do.
April 11, 2026
Very heavy read indeed, I just feel so awful for how much trauma has occurred for so many people and lives lost .
April 6, 2026
This book was so hard to read. I found myself not liking anyone.
Banfield appears to be very honest in describing the various issues and situations she found herself in. She was brave in writing it all for the world to read, and she had to know that she was opening herself up to criticism.
Victim bashing is something I see in other cases, such as the Chris Watts case. It still haunts me to this day.
However, there is a difference between victim bashing and realizing what could have been, what should have been.
The vivid descriptions are very well written. I agree that Banfield is NOT responsible for the actions of her boyfriend, but she is responsible for her own.
Namely, she lied to EVERYBODY about her relationship with this murderer. There is no doubt that he is exactly where he should be. The way this book reads, she did know who he was and who he turned into, and yet, she did nothing.
In the beginning of this book, Banfield describes her mother as someone who existed just to please her husband. In fact, the author even comes off a little judgmental in describing her mom. I would argue that Bansfield inherited a lot of her mother's views when it came to men and relationships.
She will never know whether things would have been different, had she spoken out and stood up against the beatings by leaving and going straight to the police. For 19 years, she silently endured, 19 years!!!! I imagine that she has to live with the fact that she kept silent and this can not be easy.
As mentioned, this book is scary but also honest, and it had to be hard to go back and relive it all.
Banfield appears to be very honest in describing the various issues and situations she found herself in. She was brave in writing it all for the world to read, and she had to know that she was opening herself up to criticism.
Victim bashing is something I see in other cases, such as the Chris Watts case. It still haunts me to this day.
However, there is a difference between victim bashing and realizing what could have been, what should have been.
The vivid descriptions are very well written. I agree that Banfield is NOT responsible for the actions of her boyfriend, but she is responsible for her own.
Namely, she lied to EVERYBODY about her relationship with this murderer. There is no doubt that he is exactly where he should be. The way this book reads, she did know who he was and who he turned into, and yet, she did nothing.
In the beginning of this book, Banfield describes her mother as someone who existed just to please her husband. In fact, the author even comes off a little judgmental in describing her mom. I would argue that Bansfield inherited a lot of her mother's views when it came to men and relationships.
She will never know whether things would have been different, had she spoken out and stood up against the beatings by leaving and going straight to the police. For 19 years, she silently endured, 19 years!!!! I imagine that she has to live with the fact that she kept silent and this can not be easy.
As mentioned, this book is scary but also honest, and it had to be hard to go back and relive it all.
February 21, 2026
This was a powerful story of an event that hits very close to home . I remember this tragedy very clearly. What a brave woman .. wow .
February 22, 2026
Hard to read. Hard not to judge and assign blame. I remember this incident extremely well it being during Covid. I do not want to indulge my impulse to judge lest I be judged however as a victim of Intimate partner violence myself it was a difficult task to quell this need to hold someone accountable. Clearly the psychopathic madman that committed the murdeous spree is the main culprit. I just cannot reconcile many of the actions of those around him however and the inaction too. The issue about procuring bullets for such a highly obviously problematic individual does strike me as valid too despite the author’s arguments in their defence. In the end, many individuals failed. It’s just truly sad in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2026
If there's one thing this book taught me, it's that the media and the public are very quick to vilify survivors of domestic violence.
I wanted to read this because I thought it was important to hear Lisa's story beyond her label as the "partner of a killer." That label is just an easy way of trying to dismiss her real, terrifying experience of living with a completely unpredictable and cruel man.
They tried to simplify her story, to paint her with one brush. But she refused.
It's so easy to look at the Gabriel Wortman situation and wonder why Lisa didn't leave him decades ago, why the police didn't intervene, why action wasn't taken sooner when he was clearly disturbed and a danger to himself and others. But life is never that easy, and never that simple.
Although it's important to address what was improperly handled in Wortman's case so as to prevent future tragedies from happening, nobody can change the past. Instead, the hope is that we can better support those who suffer from domestic abuse by giving them help, resources, and support in all areas. Why? So that they feel empowered, emboldened, and safe enough to make the choice that Lisa was unable to.
Not only is this book well-written and structured, engaging and heartfelt throughout—it contains an important call to action. We, as the public, must not compound the suffering of domestic abuse survivors by making thoughtless comments online or otherwise. Instead, we must be the voices for the victims who are unable to speak up. And I pray that if we ever witness coercive, controlling, or abusive behaviour, we won't stand by idly. We will be strong, we will be brave, and we will act.
I wanted to read this because I thought it was important to hear Lisa's story beyond her label as the "partner of a killer." That label is just an easy way of trying to dismiss her real, terrifying experience of living with a completely unpredictable and cruel man.
They tried to simplify her story, to paint her with one brush. But she refused.
It's so easy to look at the Gabriel Wortman situation and wonder why Lisa didn't leave him decades ago, why the police didn't intervene, why action wasn't taken sooner when he was clearly disturbed and a danger to himself and others. But life is never that easy, and never that simple.
Although it's important to address what was improperly handled in Wortman's case so as to prevent future tragedies from happening, nobody can change the past. Instead, the hope is that we can better support those who suffer from domestic abuse by giving them help, resources, and support in all areas. Why? So that they feel empowered, emboldened, and safe enough to make the choice that Lisa was unable to.
Not only is this book well-written and structured, engaging and heartfelt throughout—it contains an important call to action. We, as the public, must not compound the suffering of domestic abuse survivors by making thoughtless comments online or otherwise. Instead, we must be the voices for the victims who are unable to speak up. And I pray that if we ever witness coercive, controlling, or abusive behaviour, we won't stand by idly. We will be strong, we will be brave, and we will act.
May 4, 2026
What a heavy, compelling and upsetting read...
As a resident of NS, I have read many things about this tragedy, from the instant reports, news and articles to social media posts from victims families, to the inquiry and trials and more articles since that.
Hearing about Lisa's life before this horrible day and her life since, is so sad and awful. She experienced so much for so long and felt so alone throughout many years. She became the punching bag to the public, as the survivor closest to him, but was already his personal punching bag for 19 years prior.
Her reliving her experience so many times over in police interviews and news interviews and investigations for years after had to be extremely traumatizing. And to do it out loud one last time for this book (hopefully last, because it's always going to be in her head).
The majority of this book is Lisa's life before and after April 2020. With details from those awful days being what the general public has already been able to access online. Lisa expresses deep sympathy (for the victims and families), confusion, frustration, and hurt over what he did. Not knowing why, when, or how he made these decisions.
Thank you Lisa, for being brave enough to put yourself out there so many times over and over through the last 6 years. So much of your life has been exposed, judged, scrutinized. Abuse victims can feel so alone and separated, but you don't have to live feeling alone and controlled anymore.
As a resident of NS, I have read many things about this tragedy, from the instant reports, news and articles to social media posts from victims families, to the inquiry and trials and more articles since that.
Hearing about Lisa's life before this horrible day and her life since, is so sad and awful. She experienced so much for so long and felt so alone throughout many years. She became the punching bag to the public, as the survivor closest to him, but was already his personal punching bag for 19 years prior.
Her reliving her experience so many times over in police interviews and news interviews and investigations for years after had to be extremely traumatizing. And to do it out loud one last time for this book (hopefully last, because it's always going to be in her head).
The majority of this book is Lisa's life before and after April 2020. With details from those awful days being what the general public has already been able to access online. Lisa expresses deep sympathy (for the victims and families), confusion, frustration, and hurt over what he did. Not knowing why, when, or how he made these decisions.
Thank you Lisa, for being brave enough to put yourself out there so many times over and over through the last 6 years. So much of your life has been exposed, judged, scrutinized. Abuse victims can feel so alone and separated, but you don't have to live feeling alone and controlled anymore.
February 4, 2026
I have full empathy for Lisa's experience as a coercively controlled and physically abused person. I still remember it clearly although it was 25 years ago and for a very brief time. alas, my abuser did not kill 22 people and an unborn baby. this would be difficult for her to overcome, but none of it was her fault.
I am glad she has found her voice and has a means to make some money.
Alas, she speaks with the voice of a victim using therapy language. This cannot be healing. It seems more like wallowing.
I am willing to believe her claim that she knew little about what her partner was up to. The learned helplessness would have made her accept and not question anything.
About the book itself.
1. It could use an editor. There were many errors staring on page one where she says 22 victims including an unborn child. It was 22 excluding the unborn child.
2. It fully accepts the findings of that bogus MCC and the terrible idiocy of the weak RCMP.
3. It perpetuates the fiction that the RCMP officer that was killed was engaged in a heroic gunfight. Two dozen witnesses and the evidence disputes this. However, cops did shot up a firehall when they became frightened.
This was a tragedy. All of the victims, living and dead deserve more than a flimsy cover up.
I am glad she has found her voice and has a means to make some money.
Alas, she speaks with the voice of a victim using therapy language. This cannot be healing. It seems more like wallowing.
I am willing to believe her claim that she knew little about what her partner was up to. The learned helplessness would have made her accept and not question anything.
About the book itself.
1. It could use an editor. There were many errors staring on page one where she says 22 victims including an unborn child. It was 22 excluding the unborn child.
2. It fully accepts the findings of that bogus MCC and the terrible idiocy of the weak RCMP.
3. It perpetuates the fiction that the RCMP officer that was killed was engaged in a heroic gunfight. Two dozen witnesses and the evidence disputes this. However, cops did shot up a firehall when they became frightened.
This was a tragedy. All of the victims, living and dead deserve more than a flimsy cover up.
Read
January 28, 2026I’d like to do two ratings for this. One, for Lisa and her bravery in sharing all the horrible things she went through and her continuing journey of healing, is a five star for sure. The other would be simply based on the writing itself - as with other books of a similar topic written by a survivor, they’re just not authors and there are a lot of inconsistencies and things missing for continuity, and that would be lower as a result. Of course, this does not take away from the message at all - I can’t even imagine how horrible her experiences were. Bravo on not just surviving, but taking your life to the next level!
I’d be remiss to not mention the completely unprofessional, re-victimizing, job the RCMP did.
I’d be remiss to not mention the completely unprofessional, re-victimizing, job the RCMP did.
February 15, 2026
This memoir is Lisa Banfield’s account of the events surrounding the April 18 and 19, 2020, attacks in Portapique, Nova Scotia. After nearly 20 years in a relationship marked by control and abuse, Banfield escaped a violent assault by her partner, who then carried out the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history, killing 22 people and an unborn child. In the book, Banfield details her experiences leading up to that night, the hours she spent hiding in the woods and the aftermath that followed. She also addresses the public scrutiny she faced and the realities of intimate partner violence.
This was a shocking story out of Nova Scotia at the beginning of COVID and I was interested to read more about what and why it happened and those involved. It was a tough story to read.
I've never experienced domestic violence but even after witnessing it when I was growing up, I don't understand why people stay in these relationships (regardless of the crappy childhoods they may have had). After the first beating Banfield received from her partner, she left him ... but he quickly talked her into getting back together and she stayed with him for 19 years (they were supposed to celebrate their anniversary that night). If someone I was involved with ever laid a hand on me, I'd be gone and there would be no going back.
After the way he abused her and the killings of innocent people, I found it amazing that it wasn't until 5 years later that she FINALLY deleted the pictures of their life together from her phone and threw away his cremated ashes (why did she even take some of the ashes of this monster??!!).
While I don't blame her for his actions and no one deserves the abuse she put with, I had a hard time feeling a lot of sympathy for her when she talked about the benefits of being with him like a new career and business, a house and a cottage, being able to shop and buy whatever she wanted, the vacations, etc.
This was a shocking story out of Nova Scotia at the beginning of COVID and I was interested to read more about what and why it happened and those involved. It was a tough story to read.
I've never experienced domestic violence but even after witnessing it when I was growing up, I don't understand why people stay in these relationships (regardless of the crappy childhoods they may have had). After the first beating Banfield received from her partner, she left him ... but he quickly talked her into getting back together and she stayed with him for 19 years (they were supposed to celebrate their anniversary that night). If someone I was involved with ever laid a hand on me, I'd be gone and there would be no going back.
After the way he abused her and the killings of innocent people, I found it amazing that it wasn't until 5 years later that she FINALLY deleted the pictures of their life together from her phone and threw away his cremated ashes (why did she even take some of the ashes of this monster??!!).
While I don't blame her for his actions and no one deserves the abuse she put with, I had a hard time feeling a lot of sympathy for her when she talked about the benefits of being with him like a new career and business, a house and a cottage, being able to shop and buy whatever she wanted, the vacations, etc.
April 4, 2026
This was initially a very emotionally difficult novel to read. Lisa’s story as victim of intimate partner abuse is harrowing, and the massacre at the hands of the same monster is frightening to revisit. Lisa is my hero, for not only did she have to repeatedly relive both of these horrific things, she describes her journey with every painstaking, vulnerable, and transparent detail. She shares her story of how those who are employed to keep citizens safe, did everything but. I stand behind you, Lisa. Thank you for sharing your life out loud. ❤️
April 29, 2026
An absolutely harrowing recounting of trauma endured not just from the unthinkable events of April 18th and 19th, but of Lisa’s whole experience. Lisa pulls apart the experience of someone experiencing intimate partner violence that sheds light on exactly why the question of “why didn’t you leave” is not at all an easy choice or answer. I hope Lisa is continuing her healing journey and is able to find peace after so much complex trauma, not only from the relationship she survived, but also the system(s) that failed not just her and the 23 victims, but the province/country as a whole.
March 11, 2026
We need to discuss coercive control. We absolutely do. It starts with a charming whisper, not a belligerent scream. Banfield demonstrates this well with her story retold of an abusive relationship.
However..... The event that unfolded will scar Nova Scotia forever. It is beyond horrifying. Retelling it is probably just too painful for the families involved.
A full update of how much money was donated and exacty where from the book's proceeds would be deeply appreciated, I am sure.
However..... The event that unfolded will scar Nova Scotia forever. It is beyond horrifying. Retelling it is probably just too painful for the families involved.
A full update of how much money was donated and exacty where from the book's proceeds would be deeply appreciated, I am sure.
March 11, 2026
I am from Nova Scotia and I remember when this day happened it was a sad day for everybody. I always wanted to find out what happened to his girlfriend. I knew she lived a life of turmoil and I just wanted to know her circumstances and why she never did go to the police, if you read this book, you will realize her story a lot of questions will be answered. She is a brave woman to tell this story.
March 20, 2026
I have an incredible amount of empathy for this woman, and I think her story is extremely important. I just think she would have benefitted to work more closely with a ghost writer in order to avoid things like repetition. I think there was also an opportunity to tie this story to a much bigger, largely unspoken, problem in this country and even just in her province. No shade against her at all. I wish her well.
Read
February 26, 2026This is one of the first memoirs I’ve read where I’ve truly felt I can’t give it a rating because the subject matter is so sensitive. I have a lot of thoughts about it but they’re mostly just sadness for everyone involved in such a mindless tragedy. Bottom line is gun control laws need to be stricter, and it needs to be harder for just anyone to purchase and access guns.
March 16, 2026
Sad to think how similar Lisa’s story is to so many other abused partners. Not only was she abused by the person she loved, she was let down and further traumatized by the system that she should have been able to rely upon for protection. The book gives a good voice to the answers of “how could she not have known”: questions that instinctively assign blame where it does not belong.
Read
February 4, 2026Absolutely devastating. I remember receiving notifications on my phone about “active shooter in the area” and I couldn’t believe something like this could happened in beloved, peaceful Nova Scotia..terrifying and so unfair.
March 11, 2026
I would give this 2.5 stars, but the reality for me was though it went over what happened, it never really got into the why. Maybe we’ll never know, but I appreciate Ms Banfield’s attempt to outline what happened those horrific days.
February 5, 2026
Wow! So brave of Lisa to recount this tragedy again.
So frustrating and disappointing to see how the RCMP handled this whole situation and investigation.
So frustrating and disappointing to see how the RCMP handled this whole situation and investigation.
February 12, 2026
I am so proud of her ❤️🩹
March 18, 2026
This was a difficult read, and must've been very difficult to relive and write. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy.
Read
March 25, 2026I don't think I can rate this book. But I was riveted throughout and enraged that so many people are, yet again, blaming a woman for a man's actions.
April 10, 2026
A true story of incredible bravery.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews