The School of the Haunted River by Colleen Gerwing

The School of the Haunted River by the late Colleen Gerwing is a luminous and moving semi-autobigraphical novel set in northern-Saskatchewan wilderness she loved

In The School of the Haunted River, the late Saskatoon author and outdoorswoman Colleen Gerwing drew on her deep knowledge and love of the outdoors to craft the semi-autobiographical tale of a an aunt and her niece, Jay and Dilly, on a mid-winter snowshoe trek in northern Saskatchewan. During the trip, Jay recounts her experiences in an outdoor education school and her own epic solo canoe trip across the north many years previously.As Jay and Dilly grow closer, the older woman gains new understanding into her own life.

Gerwing died in 2021, never seeing her work through to publication. Her final editor was noted Saskatchewan writer dee Hobsbawn-Smith, who as writer-in-residence at the Saskatoon public library worked extensively with Gerwing her original draft.

“In her early manuscript, Colleen had drawn on her life’s experiences . . . a lifetime of canoeing, hiking, camping, backpacking, and outdoor adventure,” notes Hobsbawn-Smith in her introduction to the book. “In 2021, the draft Colleen presented me with for editing had, in the intervening years and work with other writers, undergone the same type of pressure that coal undergoes in transforming into gemstone. That is to say, Colleen found her story and how she wanted to tell it and set about polishing the rough edges until the clear and shining story that was her novel emerged . . . Here is her story, distilled from her own life and her own lived experience, recast as a novel, The School of the Haunted River. She left the world a better place.”

Publication of the book was initiated and overseen by Gerwing’s partner, MaryAnne Roettger, who also contributed the preface. The cover art is a painting by Gerwing, who was also a talented artist.

“I was thrilled to be asked to bring this wonderful book to publication,” says Edward Willett, editor and publisher of Endless Sky Books. “I never met Colleen Gerwing in real life, but I feel I’ve gotten to know her through reading her novel—and gotten to know and understand our own province’s north in a way I never have before. I can’t wait for readers to experience The School of the Haunted River.”

The School of the Haunted River can be ordered through most bookstores, online and off . It can also be purchased directly from Endless Sky Books at www.endless-sky-books.com.

We are all born of a river, and that in itself should be enough.

On a two-week outdoor winter snowshoeing trip in northern Saskatchewan with her niece Dilly, outdoor adventurer Jay tells stories as they hike and camp. Some are true – her outdoor training in Wyoming, her early life on the farm – and some are stories within stories within stories. A faux diamond necklace that mysteriously appears and disappears, Jay’s youthful encounters with the mysterious Cowboy, an inspiring series of books that she read on her long-ago canoe trip alone – all are underscored by Jay’s love and respect for the wild.

In The School of the Haunted River, the late Colleen Gerwing fashioned a novel based on her own life as an outdoorswoman, a novel about the natural world that will haunt and enchant even as it educates you.

About the Author

Colleen Gerwing grew up on the family farm near Lake Lenore, Saskatchewan, a creative and adventurous child with a wonderful imagination. Her first job at Waskesiu began a life-long love of Prince Albert National Park. She studied recreation technology at Kelsey Institute of Technology in Saskatoon and worked in Rosetown and Hafford and then at the Saskatoon Boys and Girls Club for some years.

In 1977, she attended the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming. She worked as a guide at Algonquin Park, and in the 1970s, she had a small company called Wilderness Trips for Women. Canoeing, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, winter camping—she loved being out in the natural world, often by herself.

Colleen began her work with Parks Canada at Fort Walsh near Cypress Hills and at Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, but mostly worked at her favourite place, Prince Albert National Park. Grey Owl, the naturalist, was one of her heroes for all his flaws, and she became friends with his wife, Anahareo, and their daughter, Dawn. In winter, Colleen studied French in Quebec or German in Germany and Cree in Saskatoon. She was a wonderful painter and favoured painting paddles and rocks as well as canvases. Although Colleen survived her first bout with cancer, it came roaring back and took her quickly. She died peacefully at home on April 20, 2021, at the age of 58.

Praise for The School of the Haunted River and Colleen Gerwing

“With tender care and deep empirical knowledge gained over many years, Colleen Gerwing invites readers into the landscape she loves best: northern Saskatchewan. This autobiographical novel’s language, imagery, narrative flow, and characters all bring her story to vibrant and compelling life. Gerwing offers wise, helpful, and illuminating insight into the nature of life and death, into that fine line between ‘now’ and ‘then,’ and the enduring and essential connections between us and the natural world.”—J. Jill Robinson, award-winning author of More in Anger

“Colleen Gerwing was a marvellous naturalist.  Whenever I went into the boreal forest with Colleen, I was prepared to learn something new, and often surprising, about the forest and its inhabitants. Colleen loved spending time in the forest in every season of the year. Each animal she saw and bird she heard added to her deep appreciation of the boreal environment, and she was always ready to share her insights with others.” —J. David Henry, author of Canada’s Boreal Forest

“Colleen spent decades of her life on the land. She always sought to connect or reconnect others with nature. Her thoughtful words continue to impact all those who knew her or read her writing.”—Lauren Markewicz, Interpretation Officer, Prince Albert National Park