Genocidal Love: A Life after Residential School

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