Standing in the Footprints of Beasts

Danica Klewchuk’s debut memoir-in-essays presents a frank view of what it’s like to be a woman and have a body, marking her as an impressive new voice in creative non-fiction from the Prairies. Standing in the Footprints of Beasts is part trauma and recovery memoir, part travel diary of an artist coming into her own power. With startling clarity and a surprising sense of humour, Klewchuk takes readers behind the curtain of a difficult upbringing and all-encompassing religious environment in Northern Alberta, then shines a light on challenges she faced as a new recruit into a nightlife industry rife with abuse. This portrait of an artist-in-waiting continues as the author travels through Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia, adapting her still-malleable identity on the fly as she begins to take hold of her creativity and voice. Standing in the Footprints of Beasts is a striking work of non-fiction that seeks to give readers company in their pain.