Book penned by Ryan Shtuka’s mother an Amazon best seller

SUN PEAKS, B.C. — A new book, entitled Missing From Me and written by the mother of Ryan Shtuka, is a best seller on Amazon. Ryan was 20 years old when he went missing at Sun Peaks nearly five years ago.

“I think it was cathartic for me. It certainly was at that time when we were going through it and I was writing the (blog) posts. After that, it was a good way to reflect on our feelings,” Heather Shtuka told CFJC News.

Ryan was last seen leaving a party in Sun Peaks on February 17, 2018. In the years since there has been very little information surrounding his disappearance.

Shtuka hopes Missing From Me will help preserve her son’s legacy.

“I think for me, the most important part was this legacy for Ryan,” Shtuka said. “What came from our search and connections that we made and the friendships that we made, how we navigated through ambiguous loss.”

Shtuka says she had been working on the book for about two years. The memoir-style novel dives into the family’s grief journey and how Shtuka performed roles as both a parent and a search and rescue organizer.

She said she is glad people are engaging with the book and her story is resonating with readers, but can’t forget the book’s success comes at the cost of her son’s loss.

“For me, it’s a very bittersweet feeling. I think that’s what’s overwhelming for me. We talk about success in some way — and it’s done well, lots of people have been buying it — but for me, it’s really hard to wrap my brain around that,” she said.