Antanas Šileika
Antanas Šileika is a Canadian novelist and critic known for his works exploring Lithuanian heritage and history. Born in Toronto to Lithuanian parents, he weaves personal and cultural narratives into his writing. Šileika has penned several acclaimed novels, including "Underground" and "The Barefoot Bingo Caller." With a background in literature, he has also contributed to literary criticism and served as the director of the Humber School for Writers.
Book summaries for books written by Antanas Šileika
Quotes
We had been taught in school that we were a Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
In the end, we were all alone in our houses, alone in our minds, alone with our secrets, and alone with our dreams.
We had been taught that we were surrounded by enemies, that the West was out to destroy us.
The world was full of things that we were not supposed to know about.
The Soviet Union was a place where nothing was what it seemed, where everything was a lie.
We all lived in a fantasy world that was painted for us in bright, happy colors.
The world could change in an instant, and we would have to adapt.
We were like prisoners in our own country, our thoughts and desires locked up inside us.
The past was a heavy weight, always with us, always holding us back.
The truth was like a rare bird, hiding in the underbrush, waiting to be discovered.
We were told that the West was a place of decadence and moral decay, a place where happiness was a lie.
In the end, the only person we could trust was ourselves.