Irma Voth: A Novel

This novel about a daughter estranged from her religious family “combines an intimate coming-of-age tale with picaresque and extremely effective prose” (Publishers Weekly).

In a rare coming-of-age novel that blends dark truths with uplifting transformations, acclaimed author Miriam Toews delivers the story of a young Mennonite woman, vulnerable yet wise beyond her years, who carries the burden of a terrible family secret with her during a remarkable journey of survival and redemption. Irma Voth, from the award-winning author of Swing Low and A Complicated Kindness, is a poignant and elegant exploration of one woman’s difficult odyssey to discover her own potential—a path that leads her away from her close-knit community and into the wide and unknown world beyond.

“The nicely drawn contrast between what Irma knows and suspects and what the reader understands about her world gives Irma Voth a suspenseful charge from the first pages.” —Jane Smiley, Globe and Mail (Toronto)

“A literary novel marked by charm, wit and an original approach to language.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Toews . . . is clearly an artistic powerhouse.” —The Gazette

“There is something quite mesmerizing about Toews’s prose. It’s to do with the rhythm of her language, with the seeming effortlessness of it and, when combined with her quick, offhand wit, it can enliven even the darkest of moments.” —Toronto Star

“Toews’s ability to generate comedy and heartache at the same time just soars.” —Maclean’s

“Wryly funny and perceptive.” —National Post

“A beautiful, heartbreaking novel. . . . Calls to mind Ann-Marie MacDonald’s 1996 epic, Fall On Your Knees.” —Winnipeg Free Press

© 2023 Harper (Ebook): 9780062070203

Release date

Ebook: 18 August 2023