Book cover of Funeral Songs for Dying Girls

Funeral Songs for Dying Girls

ISBN

9780735265639

Publisher & Publication Year

Tundra Books, 2023

Publisher's Book Page

Author

Cherie Dimaline (Metis Nation of Ontario)

Author's Website 

Illustrator

Synopsis

Summary

High school outcast Winifred is grieving her mother and her great aunt, whose deaths have marked the end of her only connection to her Indigenous heritage. To make matters worse, her father is the chief crematory operator at Winterson Cemetery in Toronto, but business is not going well. If the cemetery shuts down, her father will lose his job and they’ll have to move out of the apartment. When rumors spread that the cemetery is haunted, Winifred and her cousin keep up the ruse so that their new ghost tour can ramp up revenue. But then Winifred meets—and falls in love with—the apparition of Phil, an Indigenous teen girl who mysteriously died on the cemetery’s grounds. Their relationship helps Winifred reconnect with her heritage and recall memories of her mother and great aunt.

Notable Achievements

BookPage Most Anticipated YA Book, 2023

Reviews

Publishers Weekly: “Contemplative prose excels in its portrayal of a reclusive protagonist longing for connection and overcoming grief while living in a neighborhood that shuns her for perceived shortcomings, presenting a textured narrative about loss and love.”

Kirkus Reviews: "Artfully melding horror, deadpan humor, and an impossible romance, this well-crafted narrative from Dimaline (Métis) follows lived-in characters who are tortured by grief. Atmospheric, intimate, and melodic; the rich storytelling sings."

Educator Guide

Link to Guide

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