Guy Vanderhaeghe is one of Canada’s most respected and popular authors, a writer who combines prairie realism, profound engagement with western Canadian history, and a deep sense of connection to European thinkers such as Chekhov and Kierkegaard. He names Flannery O’Connor and Alice Munro as two of his varied influences. He sprang to sudden prominence in 1982 with the publication of his first book, Man Descending, a collection of short stories that won Canada’s top literary prize, the Governor General’s award for fiction. His early work is marked by broad humour, sharp colloquial dialogue, and characters who attempt to face bitter disappointments with meager reserves of pride. His markedly different recent books, the novels

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