Prodigal Daughter: A Journey to Byzantium [Paperback]

"The slow recovery from the hubris of Western Civilization must include a reconsideration of Byzantine culture. Prodigal Daughter, with its perspective of personal exploration adds something new and different." John-Paul Himka, Professor in History and Classics, University of Alberta

"Myrna Kostash sets out to discover and explore the roots of Canadian-Ukrainian culture and religious essence in the ancient world of the Byzantine Empire. This brings her to a scholarly investigation of her own intricate linkage and debt to the world of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Prodigal Daughter is at one and the same time an anthropological, cultural, and religious quest on two levels: the personal, autobiographical and the wider sociological and cultural. It is both deeply spiritual and intellectually satisfying." Tom Harpur, author, journalist, TV host

"Part spiritual quest, part scholarly inquiry, part travel memoir, Prodigal Daughter is as richly layered as the civilization [Kostash] explores. A self-described secular humanist, Kostash nevertheless has a deep interest in the Orthodox Church, and the result is an intellectually vigorous study.... The journey itself, like many quests that writers undertake for self-examination and reflection, is more important than reaching conclusions.... The award-winning Kostash...weaves all of her themes of religion, Byzantine and Slavic history and the diversity of the Balkans into an engrossing and richly informative story." Cheryl Purdey, The Edmonton Journal, January 8, 2011

"...a travel memoir with a blend of creative non-fiction.... [H]ighly recommended." Midwest Book Review

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"Kostash gives an historical account of the way that Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbians and Macedonians have fought for possession of Demetrius. The writing is lively, told through interviews, mythological descriptions of the saint, and visits to ancient churches. But this is not the crux of Prodigal Daughter. The intellectual journey ends with the chapter 'Lord, have Mercy.' Talking to an icon painter, Kostash suddenly discovers that her quest is not intellectual, but spiritual. She wants transcendence; she wants to be moved by a force from outside herself. The second half of Prodigal Daughter explores this spiritual side of her journey.... [D]espite the richness of the old world, Kostash is not yet spiritually at home. Instead, it is in the moving epilogue that she brings her journey to conclusion." Jeff Stepnisky, New Trail, Winter 2011

The slow recovery from the hubris of Western Civilization must include a reconsideration of Byzantine culture. Prodigal Daughter, with its perspective of personal exploration, adds something new and different. —John-Paul Himka, Professor in History and Classics, University of Alberta Prodigal Daughter: A Journey to Byzantium is the narrative of a woman’s journey through the Balkans as she embarks on her quest to find the real Demetrius. A deep-seated questioning of her inherited religion resurfaces when Myrna Kostash chances upon the icon of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, the Great Saint of the East. The discovery leads Kostash on an historical, cultural, and spiritual odyssey that begins in Edmonton, ranges around the Balkans, and plunges into a renewed vision of Byzantium. As we travel with Kostash through the history of the Balkans, we are led to an unexpected place—the threshold of her childhood church. An epic work of travel memoir, Prodigal Daughter sings with immediacy and depth, rewarding readers with a profound sense of an adventure they have lived. This book will appeal to readers interested in Ukrainian-Canadian culture, the Eastern Church and medieval history, as well as to fans of Kostash’s bold creative nonfiction. Myrna Kostash’s creative nonfiction continues to define and push the limits of the genre. Since the publication of All of Baba’s Children in 1977, she has been a strong voice in depicting the Ukrainian-Canadian experience in the West and its roots in European history. Her award-winning memoirs, essays, and other writing, along with her avid participation in the literary community, have garnered Kostash popular and critical acclaim at home and abroad. She lives in Edmonton.