Métis author Shelly Ann Wieringa’s life reads like a book and that’s because she’s put her life story in a book.
Her first book, I Never Lied: A True Story About Survival, is the recipient of the 2014 Esquao Award for Arts and Literature.
The award recognizes the strength of Aboriginal women.
Wieringa says the book focuses on how victims of abuse can overcome past experiences in a positive way.
“You know, I don’t focus on my childhood abuse in the book. I have to tell you so you understand that I was abused but the book is more on self abusive behaviour afterwards and how you come out of that,” she says.
She recounts she had the courage to expose the person who abused her only to be told she was lying.
Telling her story through a book is part of her healing journey, she says.
Wieringa adds her book not only helps women heal but also men.
“It’s getting into the hands of some men out there and the comments I am getting back – I get a lot of emails from them – is that they are grateful I didn’t put the nitty gritty horrible details of rape in the book because they would not be able to relate to me on that. But they are able to relate to the emotional, mental and spiritual side of the book.”
She has also toured across Canada doing seminars on abuse.
Wieringa is currently working on her second book which will be released in the fall.