Missing Sarah : A Vancouver Woman Remembers Her Vanished Sister

by Maggie de Vries

Between 1978 and 2001, 63 women disappeared from Vancouver's Lower Eastside. "How could this have happened?" is a question that will haunt the families of the missing for the rest of their lives. While a lumbering, largely unconcerned police department is partly to blame, Maggie de Vries thinks this is too simple an answer. Most if not all the women in question were prostitutes and/or drug addicts, and so it was relatively easy for law enforcement officials and politicians to ignore the mysterious disappearances of people considered by society to be second-class citizens. Missing Sarah is de Vries's attempt to remind us that these women had dreams and hopes, and families who loved them. In clear, honest (and, at times, honestly naive) prose, the author recalls her adopted sister Sarah's early, outwardly happy middle-class childhood, and the powerlessness the family felt as the young sibling became more and more entrenched in a downtown milieu of drugs and sex. By her teens Sarah was running away from home at every opportunity, and eventually the family saw her only a few times a year, usually during the holidays. And then they stop hearing from her at all.

Using Sarah's journal entries and the recollections of some of her co-workers in the sex trade, as well as family memories, de Vries pieces together what she can of her sister's life on the streets and finds moments of humour and humanity: "My toes get so cold they actually make me cry when they start warming up again," Sarah writes in her journal. "My hands aren't much better. The tips of my fingers, yikes: ouchie, ouchie, ouchie." Why did Sarah let herself get lost on the cold streets of the city rather than retreating to the bosom of her family? How could the police be aware of over five dozen missing women and still not admit there might be a serial predator at work? These are questions that, ultimately, will never really be answered to anyone's satisfaction. In Missing Sarah, Maggie de Vries has written a warm, sometimes angry but most often evenhanded tribute to her sister that does much to commemorate the lives of all the women whose remains may lie somewhere on the now-infamous Port Coquitlam pig farm. De Vries herself comes to a deeper understanding of the world, and rather than shrink back she faces the darkness with strength and clarity. The rest of us should feel lucky Missing Sarah is as close as we'll come to experiencing the horror that she and the rest of the families are enduring still. --Shawn Conner

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, True Crime, Canada, Book Club, Crime, Biography

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2003

Reviews

[Tracy]

I could not stop reading. I shed a few tears while reading this true unimaginable story. It sickens me to know how low human nature can sink so low. My eyes have been opened to the sex trade, and women. Their stories need to be told. It is a shame that so many women lost their lives. I highly recommend this read.

[Payton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I don’t rate memoirs but like we couldn’t have gotten a ghost writer in here to make the writing and less boring?????😔

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend, Sarina, lent this book to me last month and I have been picking away at it ever since. This is a heavy read that I found difficult to pick up sometimes, yet it is so very important. Maggie de Vries does a beautiful job at giving readers a glimpse into Sarah's life. This is a well-written victim-centered memoir that I highly recommend.

However, more than that, this is a thought provoking read that includes many discussions about sex work, drugs, and the criminalization of these things. Despite its age, this book brings up so many topics of conversation that we are *still* talking about today in such a way that is accessible to its readers. I will be recommending this book more for those educational pieces than anything else.

I will admit that after reading this book I have realized I prefer autobiographies to memoirs written by others. Maggie de Vries writes very well and I have no critique about the way she went about this book, rather, I am simply stating a personal preference. In this case, an autobiography was not an option, and I think the telling of Sarah's life was done as best as it could be.

I urge you to pick this up and learn everything this book has to offer. I do recommend scheduling some self-care in between, though <3

[ananasparachute · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. It will break your heart, and open your eyes to the reality of women in North America.
Maggie speaks candidly of her sister, Sarah, who was murdered and remains found on the Pickton farm. She also speaks of strategies for harm reduction and alternative attitudes towards the sex trade.
All I can say is read it..

[Nutkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book does a great job of making the reader see Sarah de Vries and, in turn, sex workers as full human beings, not "others". The book is coloured with personal opinion and feelings, but that's how we are able to understand how Sarah's family related to her and through Sarah's writing and art, how she related to others. It humanizes the horrors of the missing women in Vancouver and discusses the dangers forced on sex workers by the legislation currently in place (although about to be changed by the federal government...for the worst).

The book is not easy to read as it is a look into the life of a strong, vibrant woman who engaged in survival sex work, had major drug addictions and sometimes experienced domestic violence; nonetheless, I think it's an important and moving book that I would recommend.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking, brutal journey inside a sister's loss. It was surreal to read this at work, which for me happens to be on the very corner where Sarah disappeared from. Many tears were shed as I slowly read the book with a lump in my throat, over a span of two months. Maggie's love for her sister, in many ways lost to her far before her disappearance and death, shows through on every page. Her pride in who Sarah was is deeply touching. This memoir ultimately humanizes someone most of us might glance at and only seen the drug addiction, the prostitution. In honouring Sarah, the author demonstrates how much every person, no matter how harshly society may judge them, truly matters.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, the book jumps around a lot and if I wasn't reading it for book club I'm not sure I would have finished it. Not because the book wasn't well written, but because the subject material (while never graphic) is a difficult one with no easy solution. I liked the fact that the author included artwork and her sister's own words in the book. It's a bit of an emotional read though and may leave you reeling. The author does a terrific job of letting you know who her sister was. Quite often, the real woman behind the news bulletin gets lost.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and would like everyone I know to read it. Such a compassionate look at what circumstances can lead someone to sex work and addictions and the DTES. This brought up a lot of feelings for me and I loved hearing the perspective of a family member of one of the missing women - especially one who is fairly privileged and might seem unlikely to have any connections to the DTES. We all do.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read, well worth seeking out. Covers the life and disppearance of one of the 69 (?) women victimized by British Columbia serial killer Willie Pickton. The author's grief and horror are palpable throughout, but never over-dramatic She managed to convey the horror of her sister's death without ever going into the hideous details of what Pickton must have done to her.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great and horrific family story that draws you into the story of Sarah, a prostitute who has gone missing, through her sister's eyes. Contains Sarah's personal journal entries which at times make her seem so real, it's haunting.

[Johanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and revealing look into the dark world of drugs and prostitution in Vancouver's East Side. It made me understand so much more about that world and what it would be like to have a loved one trapped in it. Heartbreaking.

[Anjula · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, heartwrenching at times, but the writing is lacking in many ways, so I gave it 3 stars instead of 4. I was also less interested in the last few chapters, which was more about her activism, rather than about Sarah's life.

[Charlotte Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wowowowowow. My parents ALWAYS had CBC on when I lived with them (and still do) so I remember hearing about the Missing Women and Robert Pickton's (rot in Hell, Rob) pig farm as the case was unfolding. I walk from Hastings, down Princess, past where Sarah's home used to stand, to get to the DCHC. I have passed the corner where she went missing. This story affected me in a way I wasn't expecting. It felt like I was remembering Sarah alongside Maggie. My heart goes out to Sarah's family, and the friends and family members of all missing womxn. May we never stop searching for them. This book should be REQUIRED reading for people who really like to 'other' folks -- it should be required reading for the VPD, and everyone who works at VCH. You never know the FULL story behind why someone is in whatever situation they're in. That is true for this book, as well, since Sarah is not here to speak for herself. BUT STILL a very impactful read.

[Chloe Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal story and book. Getting to know Sarah through her own words and the words of her sister feels devastating, beautiful and like an honour. In many ways these words made me feel like I have always known Sarah. Standing near her corner on Princess and Hastings you can feel her presence as if she’s right next to you. More than that, you can feel how you have always felt her there but never exactly knew it was her. She is the spirit of the DTES, she is the resilience, kindness, creativity, fierceness and love you feel with every interaction on those streets and she is so deeply missed. Maggie’s description of knowing and loving someone who is perpetually pulled to a life far from you is heartbreaking and real. Her description of loving someone who is at times so close but functionally unreachable felt so deeply familiar to me in a way that was painful to encounter and recognize. I am so grateful for this book and for Sarah.

[dutchgal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sad story was so exquisitely told. Sarah was a person, she went missing, her sister tells the story. I’m struck by Maggie’s sorrow and her discovery of who her sister was. I remember the news stories and the trial as it unfolded, and remember being curious about Sarah, as she had a Dutch last name but didn’t look Dutch. I’d always been curious about her story in particular and remember hearing some of the interviews Maggie did to advocate for justice for her sister. I read this book in 2 days, could not put it down.

[Miss 604 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sad story and unfortunately the reality of many Indigenous women of the Downtown Eastside. Having grown up in the era of Willie Pickton with so many missing women from the DTES, unfortunately this story was/is all too common. The pain of Maggie and writing about her sister is heartbreaking and hopefully she found some comfort in being able to share her sister with us.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficult subject matter, this memoir is told sensitively by the sister of Sarah de Vries. This is an account of Sarah's life and the family's fight for justice when she disappeared from her home in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was required to read this for one of my college classes and it was such an interesting read. It opened my eyes to the world of drug addiction and sex work. I did shed some tears and felt sympathy while reading this book. But it was really different from anything I’ve read before. 3.5 stars

[April Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very powerful read. A heartbreaking story, I cried nearly the whole time.

[Jane Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really thought-provoking and very sad.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was heart wrenching, difficult to put down and disturbed my night’s sleep.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very happy I read this, itll have a place on my bookshelf for many years. Very sobering and a wonderful recreation of Sarah’s life. I loved seeing her art, poetry, and journal entries.

[Kokeshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. A moving memoir of powerful love and horrific loss. 5 stars.

[MommaK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw honest and true. A different perspective of the Pickton horrors. Gives a voice and a realism to his victims.

[Ray Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compassionate and moving.

[Olivia Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

i couldn’t put this book down

extremely well written, heartbreaking and impactful

rest in peace sarah de vries

[Crazy_smiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how she brought her sister to life. Though I could not fully understand her way of thinking it still made you care about her. It is so sad how people can be disregarded as actual human beings based on life decisions, race and more.

[Manu Schon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie de Vries does a good job in giving an insight into the life of her younger sister Sarah, who was one of the victims of Canadas serial killer Robert Pickton.

Sarah had been a POC girl adopted by white Canadians and ended up as a drug-addicted prostituted women in Downtown Eastside in Vancouver.

Through her diary entriey, letters and wonderful poems she wrote we get an insight into her thoughts, feelings and troubles. Be it with racism she experienced very early in her life, rape in a summer camp she attended, violent sexbuyers and pimps.

Also we get an insight into the life of Maggie de Vries and the family, the connectedness to Sarah, but also the distances they had.
At some points one gets the impression that Maggie does not manage to empathize with the world of her sister in some way, when she for example quotes the disgust Sarah felt towards being prostituted, for example when she emphasizes more than once how nice some sexbuyers are and that the real problem for prostituted women are other women and not the sexuyers. One gets the impression, that she has totally adopted the harm reduction approach of the Pro-Prostitution-Lobby by the social workers she had been in contact with (and she is also actually advocating for it)

Maybe from her point of view it is excusable. Ths book is still much worth reading.

[Adriana Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in Vancouver I had heard of Sarah and this book. It really shows the human side to one of Robert Pickens victims ( aka Missing Women ) instead of just one of many faces on a missing poster.

Told from the pov of Sarah's oldest sister, we learn that Sarah was an interracial child adopted into a middle class white home. Going from a happy little girl to a problematic runaway teen whose drug issues led her to full blown addiction, living and working on the Downtown East side as a survival sex worker.

Sarah comes across as a smart, stubborn, popular, caring, fashionable young woman who made poor choices in life, but always kept journals, drawings and poetry (some of which is shared in the book ) that revealed her worry about the disappearance of so many street workers and her fear of being murdered - which ultimately did happen.

We meet various people in her life- her boyfriend , her family, and friends. She loved her children her mother was raising for her- but ultimately loved her drugs and life on the streets more.

You see that these missing woman were daughters, mothers, sisters, aunts. They were loved and were much more then what they were known as- murdered drug addicted hookers killed by a monster and fed to the pigs.

[Lindsy C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling read that offers insight into a Canadian (and, ultimately, worldwide) sub-culture. Sarah, like many women caught up in a similar situation, deserve to have a voice. Maggie does that for her sister. I definitely am inspired to read up more on the Pickton Farm/Trial. The only complaint I have with this book is Maggie de Vries jumped around quite a bit...she would fast forward to finish a topic within a chapter, then go backwards in time the very next chapter. This made it hard to keep track of how things progressed chronologically, at times. I'm sure our book club discussion this month will be a good one!