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A Sebright author has won a Canadian Book Club Award for a novel inspired by her deeply personal experiences.
It was announced in September that Susan Wadds had been selecated as a finalist in the fiction category for What the Living Do. On Wednesday, her publicist announced the book had won.
“With equal measures of compassion and bite, What the Living Do plumbs the twisted depths of survivor’s guilt and childhood trauma to grapple with the question of self-worth. This is a powerful and timely book that grapples with women’s reproductive rights and sexuality, as well as survivor’s guilt,” describes River Street Writing.
The book was inspired by Wadds’s personal struggles.
“At 41, I discovered that I was pregnant. With active cancer. My oncologist advised a full hysterectomy in order to ‘kill two birds with one stone,’ since he was of the opinion that birthing a child would spread cancer throughout my body,” she said. “I disregarded his insistence. I also turned away from the invasion of amniocentesis, a recommendation for geriatric mothers.”
Kristain Oliveira-Barnes, program director with the Canadian Book Club Awards, said the 2024 winners “epitomize the power of storytelling.”
“They represent a spectrum of experiences, voices, and genres that have resonated deeply with readers across the country. We are proud to celebrate these outstanding contributions to Canadian literature.”
A complete list of winners can be found here.
