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Home Is Nearby
1980: The beginning of the polish crisis. Brought up in a small village, country-girl Ania arrives in the university city of Wroclaw to pursue her career as a sculptor. Here she falls in love with Dominik, an enigmatic write at the center of a group of bohemians and avant-garde artists who throw wild parties. When martial law is declared, their lives change overnight: military tanks appear on the street, curfews are introduced and the artists are driven underground. Together, Ania and Dominik fight back, pushing against the boundaries imposed by the authoritarian communist government. But at what cost?
282 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
214 people want to read
About the author
Magdalena McGuire
6 books10 followersMagdalena McGuire was born in Poland, grew up in Darwin, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband and son. Her short fiction has been published by The Big Issue, Margaret River Press, The Bristol Prize anthology and elsewhere. In 2016 she won the Impress Prize for New Writers. In 2017 she won Mslexia's Short Fiction Competition, judged by Deborah Levy. Home Is Nearby is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 27, 2018
“I, Anna Izabela Skowron ‘ ska, do hereby confess.”I recall as a teenager watching grainy TV pictures of Lech Wałęsa, hero of Poland’s labour movement and head of the trade union group Solidarność (Solidarity), publicly addressing striking workers. At the time, the country was one of the least oppressive states in the Soviet Bloc, but things changed in 1981 when martial law was imposed by the authoritarian government and citizens were persecuted in order to crush political opposition.
The novel begins with a group of students in a modest apartment in the western Polish city of Wroclaw. It is the first night of the enforced 10pm curfew and they can see tanks and soldiers “in their green uniforms and fur-trimmed caps” on the streets below. It is here we meet the narrator, Ania, a country-girl on a scholarship at the Academy of Arts, and her boyfriend Dominik, a talented student of journalism, as they smoke a joint and listen to the punk rock band Deadlock with their bohemian, party-going friends.
From this night forward, nothing will ever be the same for this promising young sculptor and her social group. Intellectuals and artists, along with thousands of opposition activists, are jailed without charge; civilian phonelines are tapped and monitored by government agents; a six-day working week is imposed and dozens of people are killed.
Home Is Nearby is an impressive debut from Magdalena McGuire, an award-winning Australian writer and researcher. Born in Poland but raised in Darwin, she paints a vivid picture of the turbulent political events taking place at the start of the new decade, and the demoralizing effects of living under a surveillance state where people are actively encouraged to mistrust each other.
Published by Impress Books (UK), McGuire’s first long fiction publication was apparently inspired by her own family’s life in the old country, with many parallels between her mother’s experiences and those of her protagonist. I was delighted to discover, before the story starts, we are provided with a brief but useful lesson on Polish pronunciation, in which she assures us that the language “tends to be consistent (unlike English, which has many exceptions).”
Not only is this book a well written, credible and poignant portrait of everyday life for Poles during the crisis, but it also reflects the solace of art in politically difficult times; the personal cost of pushing back against boundaries put in place by a totalitarian regime; the strength of character required to restart one’s life alone in a strange land; and the myriad connections between Polish and Australian history.
Many thanks to Impress Books for providing an advance review copy of this title.
October 22, 2017
Find all my books reviews, plus author interviews, guest posts and book extracts, on my blog: https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.com/
13 Reasons Why I Loved Home is Nearby
1) Our narrator, Ania: her relationship with her father, her courage, her determination to be true to herself, her commitment to her art and the gradual awakening of her creativity as she is exposed to the contemporary art scene
‘The tin can sculpture, the cubes, Malgorzata’s photos – these were far from traditional. And yet here they were displayed in a gallery. I was beginning to see that being an artist didn’t mean I had to copy the masters. What I did have to do was create something that belonged to me – something that no one else could make.’
2) Ania’s father: his tender, unselfish support of Ania’s desire to be an artist, his sacrifices and his unconditional love
3) Learning about the economic situation in Poland in the 1980s – food shortages (using teabags multiple times, drinking water before eating to feel fuller), waiting lists for a telephone line or an apartment (unless you could afford a bribe or to call in a favour)
4) Learning about the political background and the Polish state’s attempts to stifle the rise of the Solidarity movement: censorship, internment, surveillance, informers and control of the press. Was this really happening as recently as the 1980s?
5) The defiance of the Polish people both explicit (student protests, graffiti) and implicit (carrying on with traditional Christmas preparations)
‘Every time the militiamen painted over the graffiti, it appeared again the next day. With new slogans, bigger writing. It was an ongoing battle between us and them: slogan, silence, slogan.’
6) The way the author brings to life the process of creating art from initial inspiration, through manufacture to completion.
‘The professor was right. Metal was a masculine material, the stuff of guns and tanks. If I was going to work with it I had to find a way to use it slyly, with a wink in the other direction. Take the notion of hardness and turn it on its head.’
7) Examining the question that Ania wrestles with – is art enough? ‘What good was a picture when people were suffering?’ ‘What good was sculpture at a time like this? Unlike Dominik’s writing, it couldn’t change the world.’ Ania’s gradual realisation that art can be an act of defiance as well.
8) The evocative picture of rural Poland and the constrast between life there and in the city. As Dominik says: ‘I’d forgotten what the rural parts of Poland were like.’
9) The moral dilemmas facing Ania and others protesting against the system and the anguish and consequences that follow from their decisions
10) The insight into Polish customs, culture, food and drink (carp, cabbage parcels, cherry compote)
11) How contemporary events and culture in the rest of the world are woven in – the rise of punk rock, Ronald Reagan, Hollywood films.
12) That Ania’s final piece neatly alludes to the author’s own act of creativity.
13) The gorgeous cover
13 Reasons Why I Loved Home is Nearby
1) Our narrator, Ania: her relationship with her father, her courage, her determination to be true to herself, her commitment to her art and the gradual awakening of her creativity as she is exposed to the contemporary art scene
‘The tin can sculpture, the cubes, Malgorzata’s photos – these were far from traditional. And yet here they were displayed in a gallery. I was beginning to see that being an artist didn’t mean I had to copy the masters. What I did have to do was create something that belonged to me – something that no one else could make.’
2) Ania’s father: his tender, unselfish support of Ania’s desire to be an artist, his sacrifices and his unconditional love
3) Learning about the economic situation in Poland in the 1980s – food shortages (using teabags multiple times, drinking water before eating to feel fuller), waiting lists for a telephone line or an apartment (unless you could afford a bribe or to call in a favour)
4) Learning about the political background and the Polish state’s attempts to stifle the rise of the Solidarity movement: censorship, internment, surveillance, informers and control of the press. Was this really happening as recently as the 1980s?
5) The defiance of the Polish people both explicit (student protests, graffiti) and implicit (carrying on with traditional Christmas preparations)
‘Every time the militiamen painted over the graffiti, it appeared again the next day. With new slogans, bigger writing. It was an ongoing battle between us and them: slogan, silence, slogan.’
6) The way the author brings to life the process of creating art from initial inspiration, through manufacture to completion.
‘The professor was right. Metal was a masculine material, the stuff of guns and tanks. If I was going to work with it I had to find a way to use it slyly, with a wink in the other direction. Take the notion of hardness and turn it on its head.’
7) Examining the question that Ania wrestles with – is art enough? ‘What good was a picture when people were suffering?’ ‘What good was sculpture at a time like this? Unlike Dominik’s writing, it couldn’t change the world.’ Ania’s gradual realisation that art can be an act of defiance as well.
8) The evocative picture of rural Poland and the constrast between life there and in the city. As Dominik says: ‘I’d forgotten what the rural parts of Poland were like.’
9) The moral dilemmas facing Ania and others protesting against the system and the anguish and consequences that follow from their decisions
10) The insight into Polish customs, culture, food and drink (carp, cabbage parcels, cherry compote)
11) How contemporary events and culture in the rest of the world are woven in – the rise of punk rock, Ronald Reagan, Hollywood films.
12) That Ania’s final piece neatly alludes to the author’s own act of creativity.
13) The gorgeous cover
September 14, 2018
A lovely book about characters caught up in the political turmoil of early 80s Poland and forced to wrestle with their priorities. McGuire writes gorgeously about art and creativity and her characters are well drawn and believable. A good first book of 2018.
October 30, 2017
Country born Ania is off to start a new life as an art student, but events in Poland mean her life won’t be quite as she expects.
I have a confession. Initially I didn’t like Home is Nearby at all because I picked it up and started it three times, getting interrupted and not getting into the swing of reading it. However, I finally found a stretch of time where I could concentrate and as soon as that happened I was completely drawn in to the narrative and totally absorbed in every element of this beautifully layered and compelling tale.
Although I was aware at the time of the events happening in Poland around which the narrative is based, I had never really considered them from an individual perspective. Magdalena McGuire drills down through the layers of society so that the political, cultural and historical settings come alive from Ania’s viewpoint making everything personal, vivid and actually quite disturbing. Reading Home is Nearby narrowed that distance I think we have when we see things through the media and gave me an intense and immediate look into the lives of those affected. As a result I ended the book feeling moved and included.
Indeed, the characters were all so authentic and realistic so that I felt I knew them personally. I don’t want to spoil the plot but one small action from one of them (and you’ll have to read Home is Nearby for yourself to see if you know what I mean…) left me almost breathless with rage. I found myself talking to the characters, Ania and Dominik in particular, and giving them both advice and admonitions.
The quality of the writing is excellent. I have always considered art to be slightly pretentious and ’emperor’s new clothes’ but Magdalena McGuire’s writing helped me appreciate and understand what art’s various forms can add to our lives. I thought the exploration of the links between art and life was incredibly interesting.
However, it was the themes of loyalty, love, country, identity and, of course, what home is, that I found so affecting. The emotion I felt at the end of the book was physical so that the experience of reading Home is Nearby will stay with me for a considerable time.
Having begun not particularly engaged with Home is Nearby, I ended my read feeling as if I am a changed person as a result of Magdalena McGuire’s skilful, beautiful prose. What more can we ask of a book than that it changes our lives?
I have a confession. Initially I didn’t like Home is Nearby at all because I picked it up and started it three times, getting interrupted and not getting into the swing of reading it. However, I finally found a stretch of time where I could concentrate and as soon as that happened I was completely drawn in to the narrative and totally absorbed in every element of this beautifully layered and compelling tale.
Although I was aware at the time of the events happening in Poland around which the narrative is based, I had never really considered them from an individual perspective. Magdalena McGuire drills down through the layers of society so that the political, cultural and historical settings come alive from Ania’s viewpoint making everything personal, vivid and actually quite disturbing. Reading Home is Nearby narrowed that distance I think we have when we see things through the media and gave me an intense and immediate look into the lives of those affected. As a result I ended the book feeling moved and included.
Indeed, the characters were all so authentic and realistic so that I felt I knew them personally. I don’t want to spoil the plot but one small action from one of them (and you’ll have to read Home is Nearby for yourself to see if you know what I mean…) left me almost breathless with rage. I found myself talking to the characters, Ania and Dominik in particular, and giving them both advice and admonitions.
The quality of the writing is excellent. I have always considered art to be slightly pretentious and ’emperor’s new clothes’ but Magdalena McGuire’s writing helped me appreciate and understand what art’s various forms can add to our lives. I thought the exploration of the links between art and life was incredibly interesting.
However, it was the themes of loyalty, love, country, identity and, of course, what home is, that I found so affecting. The emotion I felt at the end of the book was physical so that the experience of reading Home is Nearby will stay with me for a considerable time.
Having begun not particularly engaged with Home is Nearby, I ended my read feeling as if I am a changed person as a result of Magdalena McGuire’s skilful, beautiful prose. What more can we ask of a book than that it changes our lives?
November 23, 2017
This is a really solid debut by a beautiful new literary voice. I became easily immersed in the world of Ania and her friends, and as their respective journeys unfolded I was at turns nervous, delighted, sad, heart-in-mouth, breathless, ... and by the end, satisfied with the story’s ultimate destination. When the Polish Crisis began in earnest I became gripped by the story and had trouble putting it down! Finding time to read with a baby, that’s saying something. Knowing that the author managed to write a novel as cohesive and lyrical and well structured as Home Is Nearby with a baby of her own is truly astounding. I love books where you only need to read the first page to know they are for you. This is one of those books.
February 20, 2020
1980'lerde Polonya; devlet, sanat ve kişilerin, bugünküne benzer, sahte ve samimiyetsiz hallerinin romanı; köksüzlüğün ve geçiciliğin edebiyatı.
(Baba'nın Reagan'ı olumlayan cümlesi hariç iyi bir roman).
Uzakta olan babanızın ölüm döşeğinde olduğunu öğrendiğinizde, siyasi tutuklu olduğunuz hapisten çıkabilmenizin tek yolu olarak, "suçlu olduğunuza, artık sisteme bağlı kalacağınıza ve sisteme karşı olanları ihbar edeceğinize" dair bir belge imzalamanız istenirse ne yapardınız ?
"Polonya hükümeti, ihtiyacımız olanları planlamadan, durmadan borç alıyor da alıyor, harcıyor da harcıyordu. Araba yedek parçalarının izbe depolarda yığılı olması daha büyük sorunun parçasıydı. Diğer tüm eşyalarda da aynı şey olmuş, bazı bürokratlar belirli ürünlerden çok fazla sipariş vermiş ve hatalarını örtbas etmek için fazlalık olanları bir yerlere boşaltmışlardı.
Her Noel sazan balığı yediğimiz halde, küvetlerde ve kovalarda öldürülmeyi bekleyen milyonlarca balığın yüzmekte olması rahatsız ediciydi; bu geceden hatırlamam gerekenin askeri tanklar ya da televizyona çıkan general Jaruzelski olmadığını anladım, hatırlamam gereken buydu.
Küvetteki sazanın, biz onu öldürmeye çalışırkenki çırpınışları ve yerkenki ağızda bıraktığı bayat su ve çamur tadı, askeri diktatörlük dönemindeki Polonya'yı andırıyordu.
Sanat, inanmamızı istedikleri kadar iyi durumda değil, eskiden iyiydi ama kendini beğenmiş bir ortama dönüştü; ihtiyaçları olan şey taze kan.
Bir sanatçının sahip olabileceği en kötü şey özgürlüktür. Zorlayıcılık sanatçıyı yaratıcı olmaya teşvik eder.
Sanatçılar, yetenek ve çalışkanlığın bir araya gelmesiyle, sizi harekete geçirecek güce sahip olan şeyleri, dünyayı algılayışınızı değiştiren şeyleri yaratan insanlar.
Sergi küratörlüğünde zamanımın büyük kısmını sanat eseri seçimine harcayacağımı sanıyordum; fakat işin önemli kısmının sanatçıların kendilerine güvensizliklerini ve egolarını özenle yönetmek olduğunu öğrendim.
Onları anlıyordum. Sanatçı olmak için dünyadaki neşeyi ve acıyı yoğun bir şekilde hissedilebilecek kadar geçirgen ve hassas olabilmek gerekiyordu; aynı zamanda engellere ve eleştirilere karşı dayanıklı olmak lazımdı; herkesin yargılaması için hayallerinizi ve korkularınızı ortaya koymanız endişe verecek kadar büyük bir riskti.
Yapmak ve vazgeçmek, son eserim buydu: Sevdiğim ve kaybettiğim her şey burada, sudaydı."
(Baba'nın Reagan'ı olumlayan cümlesi hariç iyi bir roman).
Uzakta olan babanızın ölüm döşeğinde olduğunu öğrendiğinizde, siyasi tutuklu olduğunuz hapisten çıkabilmenizin tek yolu olarak, "suçlu olduğunuza, artık sisteme bağlı kalacağınıza ve sisteme karşı olanları ihbar edeceğinize" dair bir belge imzalamanız istenirse ne yapardınız ?
"Polonya hükümeti, ihtiyacımız olanları planlamadan, durmadan borç alıyor da alıyor, harcıyor da harcıyordu. Araba yedek parçalarının izbe depolarda yığılı olması daha büyük sorunun parçasıydı. Diğer tüm eşyalarda da aynı şey olmuş, bazı bürokratlar belirli ürünlerden çok fazla sipariş vermiş ve hatalarını örtbas etmek için fazlalık olanları bir yerlere boşaltmışlardı.
Her Noel sazan balığı yediğimiz halde, küvetlerde ve kovalarda öldürülmeyi bekleyen milyonlarca balığın yüzmekte olması rahatsız ediciydi; bu geceden hatırlamam gerekenin askeri tanklar ya da televizyona çıkan general Jaruzelski olmadığını anladım, hatırlamam gereken buydu.
Küvetteki sazanın, biz onu öldürmeye çalışırkenki çırpınışları ve yerkenki ağızda bıraktığı bayat su ve çamur tadı, askeri diktatörlük dönemindeki Polonya'yı andırıyordu.
Sanat, inanmamızı istedikleri kadar iyi durumda değil, eskiden iyiydi ama kendini beğenmiş bir ortama dönüştü; ihtiyaçları olan şey taze kan.
Bir sanatçının sahip olabileceği en kötü şey özgürlüktür. Zorlayıcılık sanatçıyı yaratıcı olmaya teşvik eder.
Sanatçılar, yetenek ve çalışkanlığın bir araya gelmesiyle, sizi harekete geçirecek güce sahip olan şeyleri, dünyayı algılayışınızı değiştiren şeyleri yaratan insanlar.
Sergi küratörlüğünde zamanımın büyük kısmını sanat eseri seçimine harcayacağımı sanıyordum; fakat işin önemli kısmının sanatçıların kendilerine güvensizliklerini ve egolarını özenle yönetmek olduğunu öğrendim.
Onları anlıyordum. Sanatçı olmak için dünyadaki neşeyi ve acıyı yoğun bir şekilde hissedilebilecek kadar geçirgen ve hassas olabilmek gerekiyordu; aynı zamanda engellere ve eleştirilere karşı dayanıklı olmak lazımdı; herkesin yargılaması için hayallerinizi ve korkularınızı ortaya koymanız endişe verecek kadar büyük bir riskti.
Yapmak ve vazgeçmek, son eserim buydu: Sevdiğim ve kaybettiğim her şey burada, sudaydı."
September 10, 2017
Originally posted on A Frolic Through Fiction
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!
So this book was very hit and miss for me, and for once, I can actually pinpoint why (a shock, I know).
Going into this, I expected to learn more about the Polish Crisis, considering it’s mentioned in the blurb. It’s described as if we’d see just how things were affected during this time, and I – not knowing anything at all about it – was very intrigued.
And I did love reading this book just to find out more about Polish culture. Small details, like how university was or how they ate carp on christmas day, made this book feel genuine. And as someone who has barely travelled anywhere and doesn’t know much about the world, I found it fascinating.
I just wish there was a little more about the actual Polish Crisis. I wish it felt a little more like a historical fiction book. Because while it took place during that time, and while you DO see the affects it had on people, I felt like there was barely anything to it. I didn’t feel that sense of unease I usually get when reading about harsh times. All of the problems felt kind of minor, even though they really weren’t.
Besides that, we had the characters and their relationships. I never got on board with the romances of the story, which were introduced pretty much immediately. It was all very quick and very serious, and I found myself questioning many a time how old the characters were. It made me wonder if people in Poland generally thought about marriage and children when they were quite young, or if these characters went to university at a later age than we do here. It made the difference in culture seem more confusing, because that small thing wasn’t explained.
But being set at a university felt like a big thing. I’ve not seen that often in books, and I loved it. Especially because there was such a huge deal about art. Art is often seen by general society as a pointless thing to study, and so seeing this book basically dedicated around people who study it? Well, it was lovely to see so much passion for it in the pages. Even if you don’t understand art that well yourself (like me), the feelings and atmosphere of each piece is explained, so you get the gist of how important it is.
And so as a standalone, I feel like this book did a fine job. Though it didn’t grab me as much as it could have, I did enjoy getting to see a bit of polish culture mixed in with an appreciation for art.
October 29, 2017
Visit the locations in the novel
I feel better having read this novel. I’ve taken a peek into a world I’d never considered before and feel both shocked and enlightened. Most of the story, of this romance and fight for freedom takes place in the university of Wroclaw. A place of learning and for freedom of expression, the windows of which we look through and see the changes happening to the Polish people.
The Polish crisis is in the background and never overshadows the story of the fight for freedom in other ways, but the effects of it are everywhere.
I loved the main setting of the art world and those people who study and work within in. I think this story worked on many levels because of this creative centre and surrounding political layer. The descriptions of the sculptures, paintings and joy for the art, are crafted with care. Martial art crushes everything in its path, but Ania and her friends find a way
Once the story moves to Australia, it takes on a even more poignant tone. That of home and wanting to make a place where you feel at home. Finding your own place in the world.
November 2, 2017
I loved this book! It vividly evokes the romance and squalor of Ania's life as a student and an artist in communist Poland. The importance of love, creativity, and expression when times are hard, and the way we forge a sense of belonging. And above all the power of truth as a force for good in the world - something we can all recognise is important today.
April 24, 2018
I took this novel with me to WROCŁAW (Poland) as it is mainly set there, and it gave me a wonderful insight and understanding of the city I was visiting today...
You can read more of our visit on this link: https://www.tripfiction.com/three-fas...
Have you ever considered a city break in Wrocław, formerly Breslau, in Poland? Pop it on your city break list, it has enough to keep you entertained for a long weekend!
Naturally I took a book that is mainly set in the city to read whilst I was there. Home is Nearby is set in the 1980s when Solidarnośc, headed by electrician Lech Wałęsa, was beginning to grow, as the Poles, living under Russian Communist rule, began to rebel against the oppressive regime. Reading the novel gave me an informed view of what I was experiencing in 2018, a reminder of much bleaker political and economic times: “No meat, no money, no dignity“, a city that was uniformly pigeon-coloured and colourless. A lack of fruit that was commonplace in those days – oranges, for example – were unavailable to most. That is hard to imagine today with the beautifully painted gingerbread houses that surround the main square and the vitality that is evident everywhere in this largely preserved (and in parts rebuilt) medieval city.
An attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II, who was originally from Poland, was almost taken as a sign for Poles to ponder their position, governed as they were by their hard-line nation.
It was a time when toilet paper was in short supply and the Party newspaper, Tribune Ludu, served in its place – a fitting use as many Poles saw it. Lightbulbs were scarce and people would often steal ones in public spaces for their own use. Again, a stark contrast to the vibrant city one encounters today. In December 1981 martial law was imposed and it was the ordinary people who were the targets. That became a defining act by the government.
Ania Skowrońska decides to leave her father and rural village behind in order to study art and sculpture at the University of Wrocław. It is there that she meets Dominik a journalist and Małgorzata, a radical artist, members of a group of an avant garde artist community.
As martial rule is enforced, Ania finds she needs a permit to travel home to her Father from Wrocław; random arrests have started taking place… As art is suppressed and goes underground, Małgorzata holds an illicit exhibition in her apartment…life is changing and not for the better.
This is very much the story of students countering the iron hand of oppression, and as they take a stand, they are faced with life changing consequences.
Wrocław is a city that has been inventing and reinventing itself after wars and conquests and tragedies. Past lives are evident everywhere you go today. Passing St Elizabeth’s church I was reminded of parts of the story; at the Botanical Gardens (which we visited just near the Cathedral) I recalled a beating during curfew that happened to one of Ania’s friends.
“As the sun set behind the pillars of the gothic town hall, we walked across the city centre..” and I followed in their footsteps #onliterarylocation
The novel really set the context of the city’s recent history, history that happened in my own life time. A sobering read in many ways, made poignant by being in the city.
You can read more of our visit on this link: https://www.tripfiction.com/three-fas...
Have you ever considered a city break in Wrocław, formerly Breslau, in Poland? Pop it on your city break list, it has enough to keep you entertained for a long weekend!
Naturally I took a book that is mainly set in the city to read whilst I was there. Home is Nearby is set in the 1980s when Solidarnośc, headed by electrician Lech Wałęsa, was beginning to grow, as the Poles, living under Russian Communist rule, began to rebel against the oppressive regime. Reading the novel gave me an informed view of what I was experiencing in 2018, a reminder of much bleaker political and economic times: “No meat, no money, no dignity“, a city that was uniformly pigeon-coloured and colourless. A lack of fruit that was commonplace in those days – oranges, for example – were unavailable to most. That is hard to imagine today with the beautifully painted gingerbread houses that surround the main square and the vitality that is evident everywhere in this largely preserved (and in parts rebuilt) medieval city.
An attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II, who was originally from Poland, was almost taken as a sign for Poles to ponder their position, governed as they were by their hard-line nation.
It was a time when toilet paper was in short supply and the Party newspaper, Tribune Ludu, served in its place – a fitting use as many Poles saw it. Lightbulbs were scarce and people would often steal ones in public spaces for their own use. Again, a stark contrast to the vibrant city one encounters today. In December 1981 martial law was imposed and it was the ordinary people who were the targets. That became a defining act by the government.
Ania Skowrońska decides to leave her father and rural village behind in order to study art and sculpture at the University of Wrocław. It is there that she meets Dominik a journalist and Małgorzata, a radical artist, members of a group of an avant garde artist community.
As martial rule is enforced, Ania finds she needs a permit to travel home to her Father from Wrocław; random arrests have started taking place… As art is suppressed and goes underground, Małgorzata holds an illicit exhibition in her apartment…life is changing and not for the better.
This is very much the story of students countering the iron hand of oppression, and as they take a stand, they are faced with life changing consequences.
Wrocław is a city that has been inventing and reinventing itself after wars and conquests and tragedies. Past lives are evident everywhere you go today. Passing St Elizabeth’s church I was reminded of parts of the story; at the Botanical Gardens (which we visited just near the Cathedral) I recalled a beating during curfew that happened to one of Ania’s friends.
“As the sun set behind the pillars of the gothic town hall, we walked across the city centre..” and I followed in their footsteps #onliterarylocation
The novel really set the context of the city’s recent history, history that happened in my own life time. A sobering read in many ways, made poignant by being in the city.
April 5, 2018
Home is Nearby (Impress Books 2017), by Magdalena McGuire, is an impressive debut novel about belonging, home, art, relationships, culture and family, all set against the social, political and economic Polish crisis of the 1980’s.
Ania leaves her country town for university life in the city of Wroclaw where she hopes to pursue her dream of becoming a sculptor. She falls in with a group of bohemian artists, painters and writers, and together their activities push back against the regime. Ania and her boyfriend, Dominik, an up and coming activist and journalist, and their avant-garde friends, hold wild parties and create controversial art in the midst of curfews, military rule, visa restrictions and other controls imposed by the authoritarian communist government.
The story is set both in Wroclaw and in the Polish countryside, where Ania’s widowed father lives, carving headstones for the local deceased. Some of the most beautiful passages in the book are the descriptions of the isolated community and the small-town mentality of its residents. The narrative then moves to London and also to Australia, and I think I enjoyed the latter section of the novel the most, as it explored Ania’s journey – both physical and metaphorical – to find herself and her place in the world.
This is a book that teaches much of a regime about which many of us probably know little; the privations and struggles, the violence and human rights abuses that we cannot even imagine. In this way, we learn something important about history. Ania is a strong character, and her desires, ambitions and sacrifices demonstrate her flaws and foibles as well as her determination and resilience. She is not afraid to make a mistake, and to admit when she has been wrong.
The novel presents the sense of art as a calling and a vocation, and examines how our social sensibilities form our creativity.
Ania leaves her country town for university life in the city of Wroclaw where she hopes to pursue her dream of becoming a sculptor. She falls in with a group of bohemian artists, painters and writers, and together their activities push back against the regime. Ania and her boyfriend, Dominik, an up and coming activist and journalist, and their avant-garde friends, hold wild parties and create controversial art in the midst of curfews, military rule, visa restrictions and other controls imposed by the authoritarian communist government.
The story is set both in Wroclaw and in the Polish countryside, where Ania’s widowed father lives, carving headstones for the local deceased. Some of the most beautiful passages in the book are the descriptions of the isolated community and the small-town mentality of its residents. The narrative then moves to London and also to Australia, and I think I enjoyed the latter section of the novel the most, as it explored Ania’s journey – both physical and metaphorical – to find herself and her place in the world.
This is a book that teaches much of a regime about which many of us probably know little; the privations and struggles, the violence and human rights abuses that we cannot even imagine. In this way, we learn something important about history. Ania is a strong character, and her desires, ambitions and sacrifices demonstrate her flaws and foibles as well as her determination and resilience. She is not afraid to make a mistake, and to admit when she has been wrong.
The novel presents the sense of art as a calling and a vocation, and examines how our social sensibilities form our creativity.
November 21, 2017
It's been several hours since I finished Home is Nearby and I haven't been able to start another book! I'm still trying to fill my lungs after being left breathless.
And to give some perspective, I read this way back when it was a manuscript that had just won the Impress Writers Prize. Since then, the ENTIRE last third has been rewritten and some minor subplots in the first two-thirds deleted. But that last section set mainly in Australia is stunning.
The first two-thirds are set in Poland in 1981-2 during the Polish Crisis when citizens were placed under Martial Law ostensibly to pre-empt a Russian invasion. We follow the close-knit artistic circle of Ania, a village girl in Wroclaw to study art at the Academy, and her boyfriend Dominik, an aspiring reporter and dissenter. In their circle are Kryzsio and Dariusz, whose homosexuality is certain to break laws under this regime, and Malgorzata (apologies for the lack of Polish alphabet) who is an avante-garde performance artist.
Magdalena McGuire's prose is startling and immersive. I'd never have thought this subject matter would be up my street, but from the very first image of a carp swimming in a bath, I was hooked (no pun intended). Look at these beautiful words:
"The sky was a sealskin, sleek and wet."
Over the course of Ania's trials with love under the paranoia of Martial Law, her yearnings to create art, and her heartbreak at losing everything that is familiar and 'home', my heart was broken. Not just for Ania, but for all migrants and asylum seekers, who have to leave their home and make a new one where everyday life is unfamiliar and difficult.
Ania's artwork through scuplture shows her growth, as she comes closer to truth in both her life and in her art.
And to give some perspective, I read this way back when it was a manuscript that had just won the Impress Writers Prize. Since then, the ENTIRE last third has been rewritten and some minor subplots in the first two-thirds deleted. But that last section set mainly in Australia is stunning.
The first two-thirds are set in Poland in 1981-2 during the Polish Crisis when citizens were placed under Martial Law ostensibly to pre-empt a Russian invasion. We follow the close-knit artistic circle of Ania, a village girl in Wroclaw to study art at the Academy, and her boyfriend Dominik, an aspiring reporter and dissenter. In their circle are Kryzsio and Dariusz, whose homosexuality is certain to break laws under this regime, and Malgorzata (apologies for the lack of Polish alphabet) who is an avante-garde performance artist.
Magdalena McGuire's prose is startling and immersive. I'd never have thought this subject matter would be up my street, but from the very first image of a carp swimming in a bath, I was hooked (no pun intended). Look at these beautiful words:
"The sky was a sealskin, sleek and wet."
Over the course of Ania's trials with love under the paranoia of Martial Law, her yearnings to create art, and her heartbreak at losing everything that is familiar and 'home', my heart was broken. Not just for Ania, but for all migrants and asylum seekers, who have to leave their home and make a new one where everyday life is unfamiliar and difficult.
Ania's artwork through scuplture shows her growth, as she comes closer to truth in both her life and in her art.
December 4, 2017
Home is Nearby, the debut novel of Magdalena McGuire, is a book rich with themes of love, loss, home, inspiration, freedom and truth. I closed the final pages with the deep satisfaction that comes at the end of a good book. My heart was full.
This fascinating and emotional story follows the life of Ania, a young woman sculptor living in Poland in the early 1980's. We meet her friends and boyfriend Dominik in Wroclaw, and her beloved father back in her home village. Poland falls under martial law, and conditions become dangerous. Houses are searched by militiamen, and citizens are thrown in prison without charge.
On a personal level, Ania wrestles with her own feelings of inadequacy as an artist, and experiences jealousy towards a talented artist friend who she suspects once was intimate with Dominik.
Home is Nearby has a freshness and an originality that makes you eager to read on. The entrancing characters live vibrant lives yet also deal with fear, hardship and grief in places and circumstances that are intriguing.
Ania's passion for her art was especially moving, and her doubts and indecision were relatable. And although this book was very much about love and where we call home, the most powerful thread for me was about our inner creative lives and finding the truth in what we create. It was an inspiring read for any artist, or in fact anyone who likes to express their creativity.
If you've struggled lately to find a book that excites you, one that is different and beautifully-written, I can highly recommend Home is Nearby.
This fascinating and emotional story follows the life of Ania, a young woman sculptor living in Poland in the early 1980's. We meet her friends and boyfriend Dominik in Wroclaw, and her beloved father back in her home village. Poland falls under martial law, and conditions become dangerous. Houses are searched by militiamen, and citizens are thrown in prison without charge.
On a personal level, Ania wrestles with her own feelings of inadequacy as an artist, and experiences jealousy towards a talented artist friend who she suspects once was intimate with Dominik.
Home is Nearby has a freshness and an originality that makes you eager to read on. The entrancing characters live vibrant lives yet also deal with fear, hardship and grief in places and circumstances that are intriguing.
Ania's passion for her art was especially moving, and her doubts and indecision were relatable. And although this book was very much about love and where we call home, the most powerful thread for me was about our inner creative lives and finding the truth in what we create. It was an inspiring read for any artist, or in fact anyone who likes to express their creativity.
If you've struggled lately to find a book that excites you, one that is different and beautifully-written, I can highly recommend Home is Nearby.
December 26, 2017
I was completely captivated by this book from beginning to the end as it transported me to communist Poland. The detail and research was flawless, as was Magdalena's evocative and exquisite writing. She is a master storyteller whose debut novel has given us a rich and deeply engrossing novel about the transformative power of art, the complexity of human relationships in impossible situations and most of all about finding where home is. This book will stay with me for a long time, as will Ania and her journey.
July 27, 2018
Rubery Prize Shortlisted 2018
This is set in early eighties Poland, and focuses on the life of an art student as she goes to university, trying to establish a career as an artist during a time of government oppression. These are people living in difficult times who are getting on with life as well as they can. It offers an interesting account of the period, and an insight into student/bohemian life behind the iron curtain. The heroine is torn between loyalty to her politics on the one hand, and her career as an artist on the other, complicated still more by her sense of duty to her family, and her romance with a budding political journalist. The central character’s development is well paced and her various moral dilemmas and emotional problems are presented intelligently. It makes for an absorbing coming of age novel, which is also a story about the making of an artist. The inventiveness of Ania’s art and the transient nature of it, parallels what we now know of Polish politics at the time. As the heroine’s understanding of art, both in terms of meaning and integrity, begin to deepen, we see her gain substance as a character, and by the end of the story she has a clear sense of her identity and responsibility as an artist. It is a well-executed, absorbing story.
This is set in early eighties Poland, and focuses on the life of an art student as she goes to university, trying to establish a career as an artist during a time of government oppression. These are people living in difficult times who are getting on with life as well as they can. It offers an interesting account of the period, and an insight into student/bohemian life behind the iron curtain. The heroine is torn between loyalty to her politics on the one hand, and her career as an artist on the other, complicated still more by her sense of duty to her family, and her romance with a budding political journalist. The central character’s development is well paced and her various moral dilemmas and emotional problems are presented intelligently. It makes for an absorbing coming of age novel, which is also a story about the making of an artist. The inventiveness of Ania’s art and the transient nature of it, parallels what we now know of Polish politics at the time. As the heroine’s understanding of art, both in terms of meaning and integrity, begin to deepen, we see her gain substance as a character, and by the end of the story she has a clear sense of her identity and responsibility as an artist. It is a well-executed, absorbing story.
October 28, 2017
3.5 rounded down to a 3. Full review to follow.
November 8, 2017
I was engrossed in this book from the start. We witness the events of the 'Polish Crisis' of 1981 through the experiences of Ania, an Art student at Wroclaw university, and her friends, and we are drawn into this through the decisions that Ania must make. The historical events are seamlessly woven into the story, which carries us along, through her blossoming romance with Dominick, her concern for her father at home in the village, and her growing understanding of the importance of Art, for herself, and for the world, especially in times of political and social conflict.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, or what happens to Ania. If you like a story that makes you think, unobtrusively informs you of historical events, and seeks to understand the meaning of loyalty, you will love this book. Home, in every sense, is nearby.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, or what happens to Ania. If you like a story that makes you think, unobtrusively informs you of historical events, and seeks to understand the meaning of loyalty, you will love this book. Home, in every sense, is nearby.
May 29, 2018
This book has two main threads, which interweave throughout the storyline - art, and Polish history. Both were equally fascinating to me. I found it intriguing to read about the political situation in Poland, life under military control, as well as normal rural life in Poland not so long ago. Alongside this I loved reading about Ania’s sculptures, how she gets her inspiration, and how she finds her own style and ideas.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and especially to people who are interested in art, inspiration and creativity, or equally recent European history. Or just a great plot with plenty of food for thought!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and especially to people who are interested in art, inspiration and creativity, or equally recent European history. Or just a great plot with plenty of food for thought!
November 16, 2017
I know Magdalena's writing more for her short stories and so was intrigued to read a longer piece by her. She didn't disappoint me! I adored this story, the world I was taken to and the characters I walked through it with. I always want to feel assured, like I am in safe hands with a writer, especially with a debut novel, and this is exactly the case.
I enjoyed getting under the skin of the creating it and I loved being reminded of that desperate need to create, to look for the new, push outside the comfort zone, all while the cogs of life try to move in another direction. The amount of information woven into this story is done so well, adding texture rather than that rookie mistake of info dumping.
so I have finished this book inspired and reminded to step brightly in life and still a little sad about the carp.
I enjoyed getting under the skin of the creating it and I loved being reminded of that desperate need to create, to look for the new, push outside the comfort zone, all while the cogs of life try to move in another direction. The amount of information woven into this story is done so well, adding texture rather than that rookie mistake of info dumping.
so I have finished this book inspired and reminded to step brightly in life and still a little sad about the carp.
May 4, 2018
It is fitting that Home Is Nearby begins and ends with water. The opening scene of a carp in the bathtub in the Polish city of Wroclaw is pivotal to the narrator, Ania’s, burgeoning artistic vision. At the end of the book, on the beach near Brisbane, Australia, Ania commits to a fluid sense of home. The book ends beautifully illustrate the themes of this debut novel: identity and belonging.
Poland declares martial law in 1980, just as Ania starts art school in Wroclaw. While her widowed father works as a headstone carver in an outlying village, Ania and her avant garde friends put on and document art happenings despite increased surveillance and curfews. Ania and her boyfriend, Dominick, are both arrested. Under very different circumstances, Ania is released to Australia and Dominick to London.
Like Ania, the book’s writing is heavy on action and light on exposition. She learns from her father to wield tools and work hard but struggles to assert her own concepts. She develops as a character mostly by making mistakes and discovering what she doesn’t want to do before settling on more intentional goals. The narrative moves along through Ania and her friends’ artistic pursuits, lush with descriptions of the feelings various paintings, sculptures, and performances evoke. Dominick, a writer, spices up the dialogue with his charisma and charm, Malgorzata, Ania’s best female friend, lends a provocative flair, while boyfriends Dariusz and Krzysio a tragic innocence. Ania’s ability to appreciate each on his or her own terms makes them stand out in well drawn individuality.
Scenes of police brutality punctuate the otherwise bohemian student life, forcing Ania, and the prose, to a headier tone. In these sections, in prison and as Ania confronts Poland’s political tyranny towards her friends, she comes closer to defining her own vision. She speaks more about her ideals and herself in these scenes. Instead of bogging down the plot, these more reflective passages bring to light Ania’s power as an artist and woman.
The well researched novel, attested to by a long list of references in the back, emphasizes persons over politics. The primary conflict is Ania’s search for her own direction. While she looks up to Malgorzata’s activism and admires Dominick’s bravery as a journalist, she discerns she can follow neither of them entirely. Distance from Poland provides both space for Ania to discover her path and put Poland’s political situation in perspective. She doesn’t just want to react to its injustices but act creatively.
Although set in a tumultuous time in Poland’s history, Home Is Nearby asks universal questions about the artist’s life. The setting and well developed narrator, Ania, bring these questions into a poignantly personal focus. The questions aren’t so much answered as deeply explored through artistic endeavors and relationships. Ania triumphs as a strong woman at home enough in her own skin as to abide multiple homes.
Poland declares martial law in 1980, just as Ania starts art school in Wroclaw. While her widowed father works as a headstone carver in an outlying village, Ania and her avant garde friends put on and document art happenings despite increased surveillance and curfews. Ania and her boyfriend, Dominick, are both arrested. Under very different circumstances, Ania is released to Australia and Dominick to London.
Like Ania, the book’s writing is heavy on action and light on exposition. She learns from her father to wield tools and work hard but struggles to assert her own concepts. She develops as a character mostly by making mistakes and discovering what she doesn’t want to do before settling on more intentional goals. The narrative moves along through Ania and her friends’ artistic pursuits, lush with descriptions of the feelings various paintings, sculptures, and performances evoke. Dominick, a writer, spices up the dialogue with his charisma and charm, Malgorzata, Ania’s best female friend, lends a provocative flair, while boyfriends Dariusz and Krzysio a tragic innocence. Ania’s ability to appreciate each on his or her own terms makes them stand out in well drawn individuality.
Scenes of police brutality punctuate the otherwise bohemian student life, forcing Ania, and the prose, to a headier tone. In these sections, in prison and as Ania confronts Poland’s political tyranny towards her friends, she comes closer to defining her own vision. She speaks more about her ideals and herself in these scenes. Instead of bogging down the plot, these more reflective passages bring to light Ania’s power as an artist and woman.
The well researched novel, attested to by a long list of references in the back, emphasizes persons over politics. The primary conflict is Ania’s search for her own direction. While she looks up to Malgorzata’s activism and admires Dominick’s bravery as a journalist, she discerns she can follow neither of them entirely. Distance from Poland provides both space for Ania to discover her path and put Poland’s political situation in perspective. She doesn’t just want to react to its injustices but act creatively.
Although set in a tumultuous time in Poland’s history, Home Is Nearby asks universal questions about the artist’s life. The setting and well developed narrator, Ania, bring these questions into a poignantly personal focus. The questions aren’t so much answered as deeply explored through artistic endeavors and relationships. Ania triumphs as a strong woman at home enough in her own skin as to abide multiple homes.
Read
March 19, 2019This book fits into of my favourite categories, 'Art in Fiction' but Home is Nearby is much more than that. Shortlisted for the 2019 NSW Premier's Multicultural Award this novel is an homage to the importance of art in our lives, but it's also a tale of displacement and the journey towards making a new home; and it's a powerful evocation of life in a totalitarian society as well.
This is the blurb:
The Polish crisis to which this blurb refers is the time when Soviet forces imposed martial law in order to suppress the Solidarity (Polish Trade Union) movement led by Lech Wałęsa. The trigger for this mass movement was stagnant wages and price rises, and at first the Polish government allowed its existence. Solidarity was, at the time, the only trade union not controlled by the Communist Party, and it advocated for workers' rights and social change. However, when its aims emerged as anti-Soviet with a republican agenda, there was a government crackdown and some years of repression before there was any reform. But readers don't need to know much of this to enjoy the book: it's enough to know that the young students in the novel were courting serious trouble from the authorities with their activities.
Ania learns the skills of sculpture from her father, who makes cemetery memorials in their village, and though she is his only child, he encourages her to take all the opportunities that come her way, so she takes up a scholarship to study art at the University of Wroclaw. There, while she struggles to find her own unique artistic style, she falls in love with a writer called Dominik, and she leads the kind of bohemian life we associate with being at university in the 1970s. She parties hard, and she meets all kinds of interesting people. But some of these fall foul of the authorities, and Dominik in particular writes material that's considered inflammatory. As the repression tightens, Ania and her friends begin to consider leaving so that they can express themselves—but they are too naïve to realise that it's not just a case of wanting to read, write and make art as they please... They are shocked when police brutality and imprisonment turn out to be far more serious than they had expected.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/03/19/h...
This is the blurb:
1980: The beginning of the Polish crisis. Brought up in a small village, country-girl Ania arrives in the university city of Wroclaw to pursue her career as a sculptor. Here she falls in love with Dominik, an enigmatic writer at the centre of a group of bohemians and avant-garde artists who throw wild parties. When martial law is declared, their lives change overnight: military tanks appear on the street, curfews are introduced and the artists are driven underground. Together, Ania and Dominik fight back, pushing against the boundaries imposed by the authoritarian communist government. But at what cost?
The Polish crisis to which this blurb refers is the time when Soviet forces imposed martial law in order to suppress the Solidarity (Polish Trade Union) movement led by Lech Wałęsa. The trigger for this mass movement was stagnant wages and price rises, and at first the Polish government allowed its existence. Solidarity was, at the time, the only trade union not controlled by the Communist Party, and it advocated for workers' rights and social change. However, when its aims emerged as anti-Soviet with a republican agenda, there was a government crackdown and some years of repression before there was any reform. But readers don't need to know much of this to enjoy the book: it's enough to know that the young students in the novel were courting serious trouble from the authorities with their activities.
Ania learns the skills of sculpture from her father, who makes cemetery memorials in their village, and though she is his only child, he encourages her to take all the opportunities that come her way, so she takes up a scholarship to study art at the University of Wroclaw. There, while she struggles to find her own unique artistic style, she falls in love with a writer called Dominik, and she leads the kind of bohemian life we associate with being at university in the 1970s. She parties hard, and she meets all kinds of interesting people. But some of these fall foul of the authorities, and Dominik in particular writes material that's considered inflammatory. As the repression tightens, Ania and her friends begin to consider leaving so that they can express themselves—but they are too naïve to realise that it's not just a case of wanting to read, write and make art as they please... They are shocked when police brutality and imprisonment turn out to be far more serious than they had expected.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/03/19/h...
November 11, 2024
Before reading Home Is Nearby, I knew very little about Poland’s political turmoil in the 1980s. The portrayal of Poland’s oppressive regime is well done: how people lived in constant fear of surveillance and informers. The economic struggles, like eating cabbage for weeks due to food shortages, are powerfully conveyed. I also appreciated the contrast between Ania’s quiet rural upbringing and the harsh realities of city life.
I particularly enjoyed learning about the family dynamics and cultural details, such as the tradition of eating carp at Christmas and keeping its scales for good luck, along with the depiction of university life. The characters were so well written that there were times when I forgot I was reading fiction!
I’ve never read a novel where art played such a central role in the story. In this book, art isn’t just a theme but a powerful form of silent rebellion. The way she and her friends use art to subtly protest the government’s control was one of my favorite aspects, plus Ania’s journey as a sculptor mirrors her own path of self-discovery. The scenes where she and Dominik face imprisonment are haunting, and the fates of their friends are heartbreaking.
The romance was realistic but definitely tumultuous, and I understood why Ania made the choices she did in the end. The pacing felt slow at times but I still enjoyed the book overall. It captures both personal and political struggles in a way that feels authentic, and the art-centered narrative adds an extra layer of depth to the story.
If you enjoy historical fiction or stories about art and personal growth, you’ll love this one. It’s perfect for readers who like exploring history through the eyes of everyday people caught in extraordinary circumstances.
I particularly enjoyed learning about the family dynamics and cultural details, such as the tradition of eating carp at Christmas and keeping its scales for good luck, along with the depiction of university life. The characters were so well written that there were times when I forgot I was reading fiction!
I’ve never read a novel where art played such a central role in the story. In this book, art isn’t just a theme but a powerful form of silent rebellion. The way she and her friends use art to subtly protest the government’s control was one of my favorite aspects, plus Ania’s journey as a sculptor mirrors her own path of self-discovery. The scenes where she and Dominik face imprisonment are haunting, and the fates of their friends are heartbreaking.
The romance was realistic but definitely tumultuous, and I understood why Ania made the choices she did in the end. The pacing felt slow at times but I still enjoyed the book overall. It captures both personal and political struggles in a way that feels authentic, and the art-centered narrative adds an extra layer of depth to the story.
If you enjoy historical fiction or stories about art and personal growth, you’ll love this one. It’s perfect for readers who like exploring history through the eyes of everyday people caught in extraordinary circumstances.
October 2, 2017
Poland in the 1980s saw a great deal of change, both political and social, and for those who lived during that momentous time, life was changed forever. For Ania, living in small village with her father, her hopes of becoming a sculptor are just a dream, until she gets accepted onto an art course at the University of Wroclaw. Once there, Ania comes into contact with a group of young people, and swept along in their ideology, she finds that her life takes a very different turn.
The complex and difficult political situation is brought to life in this detailed story which explores what it was like to live in the shadow of oppression. All of the characters are finely developed, but I especially liked Ania, her relationship with her father is both loving and gentle, which is in direct contrast to some of her more challenging relationships. Time and place is brought quite vividly to life, and I enjoyed travelling Ania's journey with her, learning much about the political situation in Poland, and the effect that martial law had on the people living during that time.
The impression that home is always nearby is an interesting idea and one which is particularly evident at the end of Ania’s momentous journey and I won’t spoil anything by saying too much about what happens. But I must admit to shedding a few tears at the end of the final chapter.
I think that this is a strong debut novel from a talented new author and I look forward to seeing what follows Home is Nearby.
February 7, 2018
It's the mark of a fabulous book that I read Magdalena McGuire's Home is Nearby in two sittings. Little wonder that in 2016 Magdalena won the UK-based Impress prize with this debut novel; its central themes of home and place and identity and art.
Confession: For the past four years I have been in a writing group with Magdalena and therefore have been privileged to read Magdalena's short stories that have gone on to win major awards. Along the way, I also read excerpts of Home is Nearby, so reading it in its entirety was such a thrill. As with her short stories, Magdalena's prose shines on every page.
Many of the reviews on Goodreads offer details about the narrative so I won't repeat it here, only to add how much I enjoyed the issues Magdalena raises regarding appropriation - artists ripping off other artists' ideas and work, and ultimately, the posing of the question: Who's story is it to tell? All of it culminating in the narrator Ania's realisations that are then reflected in her own masterpiece, an homage to her beloved father's craft, and intended to be freely taken by her audience. The final scene is breath taking.
Confession: For the past four years I have been in a writing group with Magdalena and therefore have been privileged to read Magdalena's short stories that have gone on to win major awards. Along the way, I also read excerpts of Home is Nearby, so reading it in its entirety was such a thrill. As with her short stories, Magdalena's prose shines on every page.
Many of the reviews on Goodreads offer details about the narrative so I won't repeat it here, only to add how much I enjoyed the issues Magdalena raises regarding appropriation - artists ripping off other artists' ideas and work, and ultimately, the posing of the question: Who's story is it to tell? All of it culminating in the narrator Ania's realisations that are then reflected in her own masterpiece, an homage to her beloved father's craft, and intended to be freely taken by her audience. The final scene is breath taking.
April 7, 2018
Set in 1980s Poland, during martial law in Poland, this is actually a coming of age story. It's about how a country girl becomes an artist and how, through friends she makes in the political milieu at university, she understands what she wants to do with her life. It's beautifully crafted (the author has won literary competitions) and I enjoyed seeing how the protagonist artist finds inspiration in what's around her and then develops this into art. I was afraid the political side would be heavy, but this is not at all the case. It provides a convincing backdrop to the protagonist's development and forces her to make the decisions she must in order to grow. The father-daughter relationship is poignant, and is what made me warm to the protagonist. I did feel a little distant from the characters, but this is perhaps because the protagonist herself is someone who is solitary and lonely. Or is could be due to the chapter pacing, which felt a little like I was reading a series of short stories or linked flash fiction. Anyway, it was an interesting read and thought-provoking in the conclusion of its ideas.
July 27, 2021
This was so insanely beautiful. Sad, haunting, nostalgic, hard to read at times, but so beautiful.
When I was a little girl in the 1980s, to me, Poland meant long queues to get food and even longer queues to get anything else. Home Is Nearby starts gently. The queues and the sparsity of food are there in the background, but they don't take much room. Ania, Dominik and the others are living mostly like students anywhere in the world.
As the book goes by, things get worse, much worse. You end up wishing it had only been queues and lack of rich food. But of course, it was so much more than that, it was a police state and totalitarianism.
Then there's the art. Art is everywhere in Home Is Nearby and although I'm far from being an artist myself, I felt right at ease with this group of talented (and brave) young people.
Despite everything, the book leaves you with hope. If I think of Ania after the story ends, I think she will be all right, she'll make a good life for herself, one that would have made her wonderful father proud.
When I was a little girl in the 1980s, to me, Poland meant long queues to get food and even longer queues to get anything else. Home Is Nearby starts gently. The queues and the sparsity of food are there in the background, but they don't take much room. Ania, Dominik and the others are living mostly like students anywhere in the world.
As the book goes by, things get worse, much worse. You end up wishing it had only been queues and lack of rich food. But of course, it was so much more than that, it was a police state and totalitarianism.
Then there's the art. Art is everywhere in Home Is Nearby and although I'm far from being an artist myself, I felt right at ease with this group of talented (and brave) young people.
Despite everything, the book leaves you with hope. If I think of Ania after the story ends, I think she will be all right, she'll make a good life for herself, one that would have made her wonderful father proud.
April 22, 2019
Loved this debut novel with its exquisite sweep of Ania’s journey beginning in 1980’s Poland and set against an adrenalin-charged background of the political and economic upheaval triggered by the declaration of martial law — to evolving across years and oceans to a both true and uplifting resolution. (But you must read the novel…!)
So many threads of intrigue to sustain this compelling story–Ania’s romance with Dominik, a charismatic writer who takes on totalitarianism, Ania’s brilliant artistic talent and the rich friendships and jealousies within the bohemian avant garde milieu which she mixes, and the courage with which she faces struggles which are both personal and political. The story’s unfolding is enhanced by
Mc Guire’s exquisite storytelling and prose, her poetic and lyrical expression and the delights of unusual and astonishing imagery. A luminously original and enjoyable read.
So many threads of intrigue to sustain this compelling story–Ania’s romance with Dominik, a charismatic writer who takes on totalitarianism, Ania’s brilliant artistic talent and the rich friendships and jealousies within the bohemian avant garde milieu which she mixes, and the courage with which she faces struggles which are both personal and political. The story’s unfolding is enhanced by
Mc Guire’s exquisite storytelling and prose, her poetic and lyrical expression and the delights of unusual and astonishing imagery. A luminously original and enjoyable read.
January 31, 2020
I have to admit it took me a while to get into Home Is Nearby. At first, I couldn't relate to the characters at all. Ania moves from the countryside to the big city of Warsaw to study art. Here, she falls in love with a writer, Dominik, and starts hanging out with his bohemian friends. When political events take a turn for the worse and martial law is declared, their life changes forever.
I was really looking forward to read about the Polish crisis of the 1980s, but McGuire never gets into as much detail as I'd like. Still, it's fascinating to see events unfolding through an individual viewpoint and learn how they affected people. It brings the whole thing home, in a way that just reading about in a history book doesn't. Another theme of the book is art and what it can add to our lives.
All in all, a beautifully written book that'll deeply move you.
I was really looking forward to read about the Polish crisis of the 1980s, but McGuire never gets into as much detail as I'd like. Still, it's fascinating to see events unfolding through an individual viewpoint and learn how they affected people. It brings the whole thing home, in a way that just reading about in a history book doesn't. Another theme of the book is art and what it can add to our lives.
All in all, a beautifully written book that'll deeply move you.
December 25, 2021
This is such a poignant tale, which touched me greatly. War and politics are not something that would normally entice me to read a book, but I was curious about the Polish avant garde art scene - and I was not disappointed. In the teeth of a grim new world order, the characters fight back with elderly typewriters, pencils, cameras and their imaginations. What I loved most about Ania was that she was capable of seeing, understanding and accepting her own flaws. I tried to savour this book (I really did), but I tore through it and for the first time ever, was pleased that my bus was twenty minutes late, which meant I didn't have to wait an interminable eight hours to reach the end. Anyone interested in Poland, Australia, art, or just plain humanity, will enjoy this exceptional book.
October 5, 2024
I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I would've enjoyed some more historical background about how exactly Poland ended up under martial law in the 80s. At first I was wondering where this book was going, seemed kind of aimless, but I ended up liking the story arch.
This book is really hard to find because I think it's out of print now, which is a shame because this book is definitely better and more deserving than some really popular books out there (i.e. "All the Light We Cannot See" which is pretentious garbage).
I wish I could give this a higher star rating, but for me 3 stars is "I liked it." Btw, I sought out this book for my StoryGraph "around the world" challenge, with one of the countries on their list being Poland. I feel like this was a good book for that.
This book is really hard to find because I think it's out of print now, which is a shame because this book is definitely better and more deserving than some really popular books out there (i.e. "All the Light We Cannot See" which is pretentious garbage).
I wish I could give this a higher star rating, but for me 3 stars is "I liked it." Btw, I sought out this book for my StoryGraph "around the world" challenge, with one of the countries on their list being Poland. I feel like this was a good book for that.
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