Arviat author Norma Budden-Aningat sells a copy of her book, The World's Answer: Suicide or the Cross, to the Department of Education's Inuktitut language co-ordinator Nunia Qanatsiaq during her book launch at the Donald Suluk Library on Jan. 24. - photo courtesy of the Department of Education

The Quick Stop manager turned author launched her book at the Donald Suluk Library on Jan. 24.

Aningat says the book deals with both the people who fell victim to suicide and the pain of those they left behind.

She says even those who have never known the pain of suicide should feel a lot of compassion for those who have after reading her book.

"There could also be people who read it and realize they know someone thinking the same way," says Aningat.

"They might be able to step in and help somebody."

The daughter of a Hudson's Bay store manager, Aningat, 30, has lived in 15 different communities in her young life and now calls Arviat home.

The researching and gathering of information for the book took Aningat about two years to complete. The actual writing took another.

"Emotionally, it was an extremely difficult book to write because it's based on fact."

Aningat has just started a contest on her Web site (www.livingadream.biz) for people aged 14 to 18 and those 19 to 30 to write -- in 250 to 500 words -- why they think so many people commit suicide in Northern communities.

The contest closes March 31 and, by April 15, a winner will be announced from each age group who will receive an autographed copy of her book and have their essay posted on her Web site.

Aningat says the sheer number of Northern suicides is staggering.

"My whole time living in Newfoundland and Labrador, there was one suicide I heard about.

"When you compare that to how many there's been in Arviat during the past eight years -- right across the North -- it really disturbs you."

Aningat says talking face to face with people who lost loved ones to suicide was one of the hardest things she's had to do in her life.

"You see their tears and cry with them and it's emotionally gripping.

"When they're sitting in front of you pouring their hearts out, it grabs you hard.

"You can't walk away unaffected."