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A review by saareman
Held by Anne Michaels
5.0
November 19, 2024 Update Anne Michael's Held is now the winner of Canada's 2024 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
Giller Jury citation for Anne Michael's "Held."
A Sweeping Family Saga
Review of the McLelland & Stewart hardcover edition (November 14, 2023) released simultaneously with the audiobook/eBook.
OK, I've put off reviewing this forever as I was just too intimidated about it. Shortly after reading the book I also happened to go to a local Toronto concert put on by Soundstreams which featured the music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. There was a prequel event where Pärt's music was performed at our local Estonian Canadian centre called Tartu College. Anne Michaels was one of the speakers at that event and the context was that she had written the libretto for a work by Canadian Estonian composer Omar Daniels.
Anne Michaels spoke about working with Omar Daniels and about Arvo Pärt in general. She did not mention a single word about her own book even though the fictional Estonian composer (who appears late in the book in the Estonia section) in Held is based on the real-life story of Arvo Pärt. But in the Q&A I did get a chance to ask about the book and her inspiration for it which she happily confirmed.
Afterwards I had a long chat with her about it as well. She kindly signed copies for myself and an additional one which I mailed to the librarian at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia. I mention all of this just to give an example of how kind a person Anne Michaels is, that she wouldn't even mention her own related book in a situation, in order to not draw the focus on herself away from the composers and performers otherwise involved at an event.
Myself (left) and Anne Michaels chatting at Tartu College, Toronto, Canada. I do not remember what Anne Michaels said which caused me to look so surprised
Giller Jury citation for Anne Michael's "Held."
A Sweeping Family Saga
Review of the McLelland & Stewart hardcover edition (November 14, 2023) released simultaneously with the audiobook/eBook.
OK, I've put off reviewing this forever as I was just too intimidated about it. Shortly after reading the book I also happened to go to a local Toronto concert put on by Soundstreams which featured the music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. There was a prequel event where Pärt's music was performed at our local Estonian Canadian centre called Tartu College. Anne Michaels was one of the speakers at that event and the context was that she had written the libretto for a work by Canadian Estonian composer Omar Daniels.
Anne Michaels spoke about working with Omar Daniels and about Arvo Pärt in general. She did not mention a single word about her own book even though the fictional Estonian composer (who appears late in the book in the Estonia section) in Held is based on the real-life story of Arvo Pärt. But in the Q&A I did get a chance to ask about the book and her inspiration for it which she happily confirmed.
Afterwards I had a long chat with her about it as well. She kindly signed copies for myself and an additional one which I mailed to the librarian at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia. I mention all of this just to give an example of how kind a person Anne Michaels is, that she wouldn't even mention her own related book in a situation, in order to not draw the focus on herself away from the composers and performers otherwise involved at an event.
Myself (left) and Anne Michaels chatting at Tartu College, Toronto, Canada. I do not remember what Anne Michaels said which caused me to look so surprised