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The Life of a Creature
An astonishing debut story collection about the interconnection between humans and animals navigating love, loss, and healing
Creatures swim, slither, and soar their way through this stunning short story collection about the inextricable nature of humans and animals that celebrates and bears witness to our fellow creatures and to the complex emotional terrain of our own lives.
A woman's personal trauma and anxiety are intertwined with the lives of the feral dogs abandoned in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. As a lesbian love affair unravels, the secrets of a gift-giving crow are revealed. The life of a veterinarian is told through the animals that she has loved and that she has tried to save. A dying man dreams of returning as a vulture after death. The plight of sea turtles on the brink of extinction weaves through a mother's devastation over the loss of a daughter.
Beautiful in its renderings of human experience, The Life of a Creature is a tender and haunting book imbued with the deeply sensory intimacies of the animal world.
Creatures swim, slither, and soar their way through this stunning short story collection about the inextricable nature of humans and animals that celebrates and bears witness to our fellow creatures and to the complex emotional terrain of our own lives.
A woman's personal trauma and anxiety are intertwined with the lives of the feral dogs abandoned in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. As a lesbian love affair unravels, the secrets of a gift-giving crow are revealed. The life of a veterinarian is told through the animals that she has loved and that she has tried to save. A dying man dreams of returning as a vulture after death. The plight of sea turtles on the brink of extinction weaves through a mother's devastation over the loss of a daughter.
Beautiful in its renderings of human experience, The Life of a Creature is a tender and haunting book imbued with the deeply sensory intimacies of the animal world.
184 pages, Paperback
Published April 28, 2026
About the author
Nadja Lubiw-Hazard
4 books15 followersNadja is a Toronto-based writer and veterinarian. She is the author of the adult novel The Nap-Away Motel, and the upcoming short story collection, The Life of a Creature. She also writes for children. Tizzy and Me: Fifteen Was to Love a Mink, is her first chapter book. Her second chapter book, The Incredible Adventures of Moondog's Eye: A Tizzy and Me Story, will be published in 2025. Nadja is a life-long animal lover and long-time advocate for them; she often writes about the more-than-human world. Nadja lives with her wife, their two adult daughters, and a feisty fluffy white cat. Find her on Instagram @nmlhazard.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 30, 2026
An interesting collection - not for the faint of heart though.
Recommended read.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.
4.5 rounded up to 5
Recommended read.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.
4.5 rounded up to 5
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
i loved this book. review in March at the Temz Review
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews