Hunting History: A Writer’s Odyssey is an unforgettable journey through time, memory, and the enduring power of storytelling. From an unexpected visit to a Nazi death camp to gripping encounters with perpetrators of atrocities, their victims, determined activists, and wily propagandists, award-winning author Erna Paris takes readers on a deeply personal exploration of how history is remembered, manipulated, and lived.
Blending investigative journalism with memoir, Paris traces a lifelong quest to understand the psychological and cultural forces that shape the best and worst of human behavior—its triumphs and its darkest impulses. In this, her final work, she delivers a profound and urgent meditation on truth, justice, and the writer’s role in illuminating the past to guide the future.
“In this moment, when foreign correspondents are ever more rare, when international investigatory journalism is in decline except at a few well-financed outlets, and when concern for minorities and for rights denied is in eclipse, it is refreshing to join what Roland and Michelle Paris recall as a lifetime of yeasty dinner table conversations.”
– David Marks Shribman, Literary Review of Canada
“Erna Paris shone her flashlight into many dark corners of human history during her life. In this, her last book, she gives us insights and warnings that couldn’t be more timely.”
– Margaret Atwood
“Erna Paris is always impressive in her humanity and deep personal understanding of contemporary history.”
– The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson
“Erna Paris’ memoir takes us down the crisscrossing paths of her personal life, her career as a writer and her investigation of how we remember—sometimes misremember—a dozen epic historical and contemporary struggles for social justice and tolerance. All these paths are laid down in impeccable prose, paved with shrewd insight and careful research and illuminated by Paris’ admirable ability to combine unflinching righteousness with a sympathy for human frailty. A life well-lived, a book that demands to be read.”
– Harry Arthurs
