"Fox tears beauty from the jaws of genocide, daring to claim love beyond settler imaginings-love that nurtures decolonial futures and makes possible a more just world."- Sam McKegney, author of Magic Weapons and Masculindians How can we heal in the face of trauma? How can we transform intergenerational pain into a passion for community and healing? Presenting herself as "Myrtle," residential school survivor and Indigenous television personality Bevann Fox explores essential questions by recounting her life through fiction. She shares memories of an early childhood filled with love with her grandparents-until she is sent to residential school at the age of seven. Her horrific experiences of abuse there left her without a voice, timid and nervous, never sure, never trusting, affecting her romantic relationships and family bonds for years to come. This is the story of Myrtle battling to recover her voice. Genocidal Love is a powerful confirmation of the long-lasting consequences of residential school violence -and a moving story of finding a path towards healing. "A riveting, often difficult, brave, important book. " - Deanna Reder , Chair, Department of Indigenous Studies, Simon Fraser University "A riveting and courageous reflection. . . . Genocidal Love is unique in its detailed account of the often re-traumatizing effects of the legal and bureaucratic barriers of compensation programs predating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission." - Jesse Rae Archibald-Barber , editor of kisiskaciwan and co-editor of Performing Turtle Island

"Fox tears beauty from the jaws of genocide, daring to claim love beyond settler imaginings-love that nurtures decolonial futures and makes possible a more just world."- Sam McKegney, author of Magic Weapons and Masculindians How can we heal in the face of trauma? How can we transform intergenerational pain into a passion for community and healing? Presenting herself as "Myrtle," residential school survivor and Indigenous television personality Bevann Fox explores essential questions by recounting her life through fiction. She shares memories of an early childhood filled with love with her grandparents-until she is sent to residential school at the age of seven. Her horrific experiences of abuse there left her without a voice, timid and nervous, never sure, never trusting, affecting her romantic relationships and family bonds for years to come. This is the story of Myrtle battling to recover her voice. Genocidal Love is a powerful confirmation of the long-lasting consequences of residential school violence -and a moving story of finding a path towards healing. "A riveting, often difficult, brave, important book. " - Deanna Reder , Chair, Department of Indigenous Studies, Simon Fraser University "A riveting and courageous reflection. . . . Genocidal Love is unique in its detailed account of the often re-traumatizing effects of the legal and bureaucratic barriers of compensation programs predating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission." - Jesse Rae Archibald-Barber , editor of kisiskaciwan and co-editor of Performing Turtle Island

This critical edition delivers a unique and comprehensive collection of the works of Ktunaxa-Secwepemc writer and educator Vera Manuel, daughter of prominent Indigenous leaders Marceline Paul and George Manuel. A vibrant force in the burgeoning Indigenous theatre scene, Vera was at the forefront of residential school writing and did ground breaking work as a dramatherapist and healer. Long before mainstream Canada understood and discussed the impact and devastating legacy of Canada's Indian residential schools, Vera Manuel wrote about it as part of her personal and community healing. She became a grassroots leader addressing the need to bring to light the stories of survivors, their journeys of healing, and the therapeutic value of writing and performing arts. A collaboration by four Indigenous writers and scholars steeped invalues of Indigenous ethics and editing practices, the volume features Manuel's most famous play, Strength of Indian Women-first performed in 1992 and still one of the most important literary works to deal with the trauma of residential schools--along with an assemblage of plays written from the late 1980s until Manuel's untimely passing in 2010 that were performed but never before published. The volume also includes three previously unpublished short stories written in 1988, poetry written over three decades in a variety of venues, and a 1987 college essay that draws on family and community interviews on the effects of residential schools.