In his debut novel, In the Event of Damage or Abuse, Paris Tosen weaves a detailed portrait of coming to terms with a father hijacked by schizophrenia. Before his mother Candida called to reveal her life was yet again in danger, Marco Prana thought he had escaped his tragic family past. A ritualistically beaten and abused wife, Candida had always preoccupied Marco's world, prevented him from living the life he truly wanted. When a new domestic situation flares up, he realizes that he cannot escape his past: he returns to Canada, where his life is transformed. Tosen portrays the awful truth of a family broken by mental illness.