Funeral Songs for Dying Girls - Cherie Dimaline

I was thrilled to see that Cherie Dimaline had two books coming out in 2023. The second is the newly released Funeral Songs for Dying Girls. It's labeled as YA fiction. 

Winifriend lives with her widowed father on the grounds of a cemetery. She’s awkward and has few friends, except for Jack. But as they grow older, Jack is moving on and leaving Winnie behind. And then Phil arrives. Is she a figment of Winifred’s imagination? Or could she be real? Or...

Dimaline’s prose are simply wonderful. I stopped more than once to savour Winnie’s words before carrying on. Her descriptions and inner dialogue conjure up vivid mental images and thought provoking ideas.

The setting is just as well drawn - the mossy paths, the headstones, the mausoleums and more. I've always found cemeteries to be peaceful and calming. And so did Winifred - until now. 

The supporting characters are just right. My faves were Floyd, the cemetery's handy man and Auntie Roberta - everyone needs an Auntie like this. And all of us probably have an annoying relative like Penny. 

There are many themes - life, loss, love, coming of age, friendship, family and identity. Dimaline addresses them all with a fresh, unique and thoughtful eye.

I really like Dimaline's writing, messages and storytelling. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Funeral Songs for Dying Girls.