First and Vital Candle

Rebellious, adrift and alone in his quest, the middle aged hero of this compelling novel settles finally with a band of Ojibway in Northern Ontario where, confronted with the mystical and spiritual qualities of the North and its people, he is finally able to open his heart to love and profound understanding.

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Rudy Wiebe, widely published internationally and winner of numerous awards, including two Governor General’s Awards for Fiction, is the author of nine novels, four short story collections, and five non-fiction books.

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A firm belief in the redemptive possibilities of history dominates Wiebe's fiction. His characters search for community, for a spiritual collective informed and strengthened by historical consciousness. This attempt to unite the present and the past stems from Wiebe's Mennonite religious background. Central to the Mennonite belief is the rejection of loyalty to contemporary and worldly government; personal commitment belongs, instead, to the religious community, with its hard-earned historical heritage as a nonconformist movement.

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Wiebe was born in a northern Saskatchewan farming community; in 1947 the family moved to Alberta, and he completed his education at the University of Alberta, where he teaches. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
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