Nominated for a Books in Canada First Novel Award when it was first published in 1984, Country of the Heart is the resonant story of Iris and Lannie, also the heroines of Sharon Butala's newest novel, The Garden of Eden.

Set in Butala's beautifully realized prairie landscape, Country of the Heart introduces 40-year-old Iris, seemingly happily married to Barney, a rancher-turned-farmer; Jake, a widower who, despite his age, still radiates the power and passion of the legendary cowboy he once was; and Lannie, Barney's niece, the troubled young woman who has lived with Barney and Iris since her own mother died.

A story of the transforming power of love and land as only Sharon Butala can tell, Country of the Heart is a welcome addition to the hugely successful Butala backlist, a novel -- because of its link to The Garden of Eden -- that will gain instant recognition with Butala's fans.

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.

Sharon Butala's profile page