House of Anansi Press
Far to Go
Written by Alison Pick
Published September 24, 2011 |
ISBN 9780887842955
FICTION / Literary

About this book
Far to Go
Anansi Book Club Editions
Alison Pick
Reader's Guide ↓Winner of the Helen and Stan Vine Jewish Book Award and finalist for the Man Booker Prize
In Far to Go, one of our most accomplished young writers takes us inside the world of an affluent Jewish family in Prague during the lead-up to Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia.
In 1939, Pavel and Anneliese Bauer are secular Jews whose lives are turned upside down by the arrival of Hitler. They are unable to leave the country in time to avoid deportation, but they do manage to get their six-year-old son Pepik a place on a Kindertransport. Meanwhile, a fascinating and compelling present-day strand in the story slowly reveals the unexpected fates of each of the Bauers. Through a series of surprising twists, Pick leads us to ask: What does it mean to cling to identity in the face of persecution? And what are the consequences if you attempt to change your identity?
Inspired by the harrowing five-year journey Alison Pick's own grandparents embarked upon from their native Czechoslovakia to Canada during the Second World War, Far to Go is an epic historical novel that traces one family's journey through these tumultuous and traumatic events. A layered, beautifully written, moving, and suspenseful story by one of our rising literary stars.
About the Author
Alison Pick
Alison Pick was the 2002 Bronwen Wallace Award winner for the most promising writer under thirty-five in Canada. She has published two acclaimed volumes of poetry, and her writing has appeared widely in magazines, including The Walrus, enRoute, and Toronto Life. Her 2005 novel, The Sweet Edge, was a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book and was optioned for film. Currently on faculty at the Banff Centre for the Arts Wired Writing Studio, Alison Pick lives in Toronto with her family.
Awards and Praise
- Winner Helen and Stan Vine Jewish Book Award, 2011
- Long-listed Man Booker Prize for Fiction, 2011
- Long-listed ReLit Awards: Novel, 2011
- Winner Words Worthy Award, 2010
- Short-listed CBC Bookies: Best Overall Book, 2011
- Short-listed OLA Evergreen Award, 2011