What does it mean to be a Westerner? What is the Western experience and, by extension, what makes up the Western soul? In Lilac Moon, Sharon Butala inspires, delights and challenges us to think about the West in fresh ways. Beginning with a day in the life of the real West, she transports us to her Saskatchewan ranch, where a soft lilac moon lights the vast rolling landscape. Then, in a series of wide-ranging chapters that ponder the question "What makes a Westerner?" she considers the myths, the history, the peoples of the three prairie provinces.

From the pioneer past to Western stereotypes, from racial and ethnic inequalities to party politics, from rural myths to urban realities, Lilac Moon effortlessly interweaves strands of history, family, politics and culture. Butala’s intense personal connection -- her blended English/French roots run five generations deep in the Western landscape -- and her elegant style combine to create a book rich in insight and an abiding love for the vast region she knows so well.

Published on the centennial anniversary of the entry of Alberta and Saskatchewan into Confederation, this is a book not just for Westerners, but for all Canadians who want to know -- and understand -- one of the seminal dreams of our nation.

Sharon Butala is the author of nineteen books of fiction and nonfiction, numerous essays and articles, some poetry and five produced plays. She published her first novel in 1984, Country Of The Heart, which was nominated for the Books in Canada First Novel Award, followed closely by a collection of short stories, Queen of the Headaches. She was born in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan, she taught English in Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. She eventually returned to Saskatoon, before moving near Eastend, Saskatchewan, to live on her husband, Peter Butala’s ranch. Sharon’s books have been on the Canadian bestseller lists, including her memoir, The Perfection Of The Morning, which reached #1 in July 1994 and remained on the list for over a year. Most recently, Wild Rose was also on the bestseller lists. Sharon has read all over Canada and in the United States as well as in Mexico, the Czech Republic, and Ireland. She has been a guest at nearly every literary festival in Canada and some US festivals, as well as teaching literally dozens of writing workshops. Sharon has been a guest at the “Geography of Hope” conference on Wallace Stegner, at Point Reyes Station, California. She has also been a guest speaker at Speak to the Wild: a multi-disciplinary gathering dedicated to the politics and poetics of wilderness, at Wells Gray Provincial Park, BC. She is also in demand as a lecturer, having spoken recently at the Edmonton Jung Forum, the Banff Centre for the Arts Book Discussion Weekend, the “Books ‘n’ Brunch” series in Toronto, the UBC and Hollyhock’s “Summer Speakers’ Series” in Vancouver, the Vancouver Institute, and was a keynote speaker at the narratology conference at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, among other engagements. Sharon has also been a keynote speaker at the International Grasslands conference and delivered the inaugural annual lecture at University of Saskatchewan Creative Writing program.

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