Madeleine Thien is the quiet conscience of Canadian literature. Nine years after winning the country's top book prize, she returns with a stirring new novel
May 3, 2025
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By Richie AssalyCulture Reporter
On a recent trip to Europe, Madeleine Thien dragged her partner, writer Rawi Hage, over a treacherous mountain path through the Pyrenees.
The trek was a minor disaster – authors are rarely known for their outdoorsiness ('I thought she was trying to kill me,' Hage deadpanned) – but Thien was determined to trace the steps of philosopher Hannah Arendt, who fled to Spain from Vichy France during the Second World War.
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Richie Assaly is a culture reporter for the Star, with an interest in music, pop culture and food reporting. He is also a juror for Polaris Music Prize.
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