Austin Chapter
Reader's Guide
May 2002
Perfection of the Morning
by Sharon Butala
This Saskatchewanian memoir was a bestseller in Canada...A memoir of midlife change shaped by the western landscape..."One of the most perceptive and moving meditations . . . on that mysterious and often misunderstood presence that we call nature."...
A Note About the Author
Sharon Butala was born in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, in 1940. She was educated in small towns in Saskatoon, and at the University of Saskatchewan. She gave up work as a Special Educator to become a novelist, short story writer, and writer of creative non-fiction. She has been called a "visionary" for her ability to look deeply into nature and see there a wild reflection of the human heart. Her book, The Perfection of the Morning reached #1 on the bestseller list in July '94. You can read an interview focusing on Sharon's most recent memoir, Wild Stone Heart, at www.shared-vision.com/old_site/y00m06/storya01.html.
Selected Publications
- Wild Stone Heart: An Apprentice in the Fields. Toronto: Harper Flamingo, 2000.
- Coyote's Morning Cry: Meditations and Dreams from a Life in Nature. Perennial Canada. 1996
- The Garden of Eden. Toronto: HarperCollins, 1998.
- The Perfection of the Morning. Toronto: HarperCollins Canada Ltd., 1994.
- The Gates of the Sun. Toronto: HarperCollins, 1994.
- The Fourth Archangel. Toronto: HarperCollins Canada Ltd., 1992.
- Luna. Toronto: HarperCollins, 1994; Fifth House Publishers, 1988.
- Fever. Short Story Collection. Toronto: HarperCollins Canada Ltd., 1990.
Study Questions
- What Sharon wish to share and did she?
- What are Sharon's distinctions between the modern and the traditional woman and in what ways has her exploration added to your wisdom about self, others, and the world? To say it another way, what are the points of identity and separateness between you and Sharon? What does she reveal that appeals especially to you?
- What did you notice about Sharon's relationship with Peter? Does their relationship attract or repulse you?
- Sharon does not seem to serve others during her journey with self, yet where does this lead?
- Has Sharon touched you about dreams?
- How does Sharon relate to the unknown? Do you have points of contact here?
- With whom would you like to share this book?
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