Part of the requirement for Journalism class this term included reading Journey for Justice, by crime reporter and CreComm graduate Mike McIntyre. This crime story examines the abduction of Candace Derksen and the process of finding her killer.
I recall hearing about this case growing up, so I was looking forward to reading this book. Plus, I haven't had much time for pleasure reading since the summer, so my bedtime routine welcomed this change.
I must note that one of the things that really stood out to me in this book was the strength of Wilma Derksen. She really kept herself together, when most would fall apart. I think a major contributing factor behind Wilma's strength, was her faith. It popped up a lot in seminar and the book, so you get the sense that her faith is what kept her going throughout this entire process.
I thought that many parts of Mike McIntyre's book worked, and other parts kind of seemed off to me. I loved the beginning part of his book. I felt like I had a good grasp on who the characters were, and I thought that he did a nice job telling the story of how Candace went missing. As a former Psychology student I appreciated the reports on Mark Grant. However, I felt that they began to drag on a bit, becoming repetitive. I think a few would have been beneficial, but I don't think it was necessary to provide so much.
McIntyre provides amazing details in his book, these details worked for me. From discussing the neighbour as a suspect, to sharing the courtroom details, these were great. I liked how organized the first half of the book was, but the second half fell short. I think there was some inconsistencies in his writing styles, and maybe he was just trying to set different tones by playing around with this, but I'm not so sure that I liked this.
Journalists can and should take something away from Mike McIntyre's work. I think he's proven to be full of class, while still getting a great story. He was able to leave his work in his pocket at appropriate times. He used compassion and wasn't solely after a story. He was respectful, and gained the trust of the Derksen's but still did his job in doing this story justice.
I can imagine that in times of tragedy, the idea of spending time with a reporter would be pretty dreadful. It would be easier to turn the journalist away, because they may be expecting an aggressive experience. Any journalist working on a traumatic case should consider sitting down with Mike. He seems to have done a pretty great job at showing families that he genuinely cares about them, but still does his job efficiently.
I don't typically read true crime novels, but I have read some of Mike's work in the Winnipeg Free Press. I think that the bond and relationship that he's built with the Derksen's provided a much closer look at the feelings and thoughts of the characters in Journey for Justice, something that wouldn't be very typical of his shorter Free Press articles.
I wasn't totally sure what to expect when Wilma and Mike came to speak to us, but I found it interesting to see the way the two interacted. You could tell that the two have become great friends through their journey together. They shared a story about a time that Wilma was having a BBQ, and Mike had asked if he could join her and her friends, Wilma said okay– but only if he left his notebook at home this time. It was a simple story, but I think that it was one of a few moments that the two shared, that established their friendship, outside of working on the book. She mentioned another instance in the courtroom where she needed him to be her friend for minute, and to put down his pen to be present in the moment with her. I think it's great that they formed a friendship like this during such an incredible ordeal. I respect that Mike wasn't just a journalist getting a story, he was there for Wilma during this experience at various points in time.
During the presentation, I thought it was pretty amazing that Wilma spoke about her ability to forgive Mark Grant, Candace's killer. It takes a pretty incredible person to look past the injustice they endured as a family, and to be able to keep an open and forgiving mind in moving forward. She wanted to know everything she could about the man who took her daughters life, and she found that Mark was quite the victim himself. He came from an awful upbringing, and had really been through some trauma in his own life. She said that although it could never excuse what's happened, she looks at this information as somewhat of an explanation which helps her understand and accept what's happened.
She spoke numerous times about her faith, which I think is very key in this book and was certainly understood in seminar. Seeing Wilma speak about her faith first hand, makes everything seem much more believable. I don't think many people would be so understanding and forgiving after going through what she has been through. You can tell that she is a woman of God, or something higher anyways for her her to choose the attitude that she has chosen. It's evident that her faith has helped mold the person she is today– she's a strong, forgiving, and compassionate woman.
