Beginning of Was - Softcover

 

Ania Szado ’s novel Beginning of Was was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Best First Book, Canada/Caribbean). She lives in Toronto and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. Visit her website at www.aniaszado.com.

“A beautiful book, honest, unflinching and sometimes almost unbearable in its intensity, yet in the end also hopeful and oddly buoyant.” - Nino Ricci, author of Lives of the Saints and The Origin of Species

“Rich with observations about the twists and turns in life ... Szado’s tale comes in a refreshing new voice.” - Toronto Star

“Szado’s prose is restrained and powerful ... It isn’t just the story, compelling as it is. Szado evokes our own history of grief and loss and opens us to the fears that haunt our dreams. Ultimately, it is through her fiction that we come to understand how to proceed.” - Ottawa Citizen

“A lyrical evocation of grief, Beginning of Was explores the nature of the human heart with elegance and compassion.” - Helen Humphreys

“Szado’s debut novel, Beginning of Was, tells an emotionally taut tale of trauma without clichés or sentimentality ... She also knows how to ratchet up the tension ... The surprise book of the year.” - NOW magazine

“This is an auspicious debut and a welcome addition to the range of contemporary Canadian novels that explore survival in the face of despair and loss.” - National Post

“A sparingly written, subtle exploration of personal tragedy and how to survive it, how to cling on, as onto a rock face—slowly inching towards the possibility of a future.” - D.M. Thomas

“Beginning of Was is all touch. Ania Szado communicates the feeling of contact and makes a beautiful ache.” - Gord Downie, author of Coke Machine Glow

“Ania Szado shows once again how Canadian writers can portray with stunning virtuosity the telling details and little events that make a life.” - The Hamilton Spectator

“Szado shows an immense talent for resonant and surprising imagery.” - Quill & Quire