Books
Must-Read Books By Canadian Black Authors
Books
Must-Read Books By Canadian Black Authors
These 13 books from Canadian Black authors will make you laugh, cry, and reflect.
Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis
Photo by Amazon
The winner of numerous prestigious Canadian book awards, including the 2015 Giller Prize, Fifteen Dogs, begins with a bet between the Greek gods Hermes and Apollo. The pair grant a pack of dogs in a Toronto veterinary clinic human consciousness and language to see how the animals adapt. As the dogs navigate their new world and divide amongst themselves, each struggles with their own challenges and journeys.
Broughtupsy by Christina Cooke
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After her brother dies suddenly, Akúa returns home to Jamaica for the first time in 10 years. Over three weeks, Akúa tries to reconnect with her estranged sister and family while confronting the reality of being gay in Jamaica. A story of family diaspora and tensions, Broughtupsy asks: What are we willing to do for family, and what are we willing to do to feel at home?
Invisible Boy by Harrison Mooney
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This powerful memoir by Harrison Mooney delves into the controversial practice of transracial adoption. Raised by white evangelicals in a fundamentalist Christian church, Harry grows up in an abusive environment surrounded by prejudice, paranoia and zealotry. After reuniting with his West African birth mother 25 years later, Harry journeys from white cult to Black consciousness.
The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr
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Winner of the 2022 Giller Prize, The Sleeping Car Porter is a moving tale of a queer Black man named Baxter who works as a porter on a cross-country train. It's 1929, and after a mudslide strands the train, Baxter must confront the white passengers, his past, and a secret love affair.
The Sleeping Car Porter, $20 (was $24)
Ignite: Unlock the Hidden Potential Within by Andre De Grasse and Dan Robson
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In this memoir, Andre De Grasse shares insight into his journey to becoming an Olympic champion and how to do your best under pressure. Stories of resilience and inspiration show readers how to take this perseverance and commitment into their own lives.
Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta
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Set in Toronto's “Little Jamaica,” Frying Plantain follows a girl from elementary school to high school graduation as she navigates the tensions between mothers and daughters, second-generation immigrants experiencing first-generation cultural expectations, and Black identity in a predominantly white society.
The Skin We're In by Desmond Cole
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From celebrated Toronto journalist and activist Desmond Cole, The Skin We're In is a powerfully-reported work that examines the daily injustices faced by Black Canadians. Chronicled in just one year, Cole challenges the idea that we live in a post-racial nation.
Uncertain Kin by Janice Lynn Mather
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Set against the backdrop of the Bahamas, Uncertain Kin shares 18 stories of women and girls. From parenthood to grief to coming of age, these tales are about what it means to be a woman.
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
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This moving story begins in West Africa, where 11-year-old Aminata Diallo is abducted from her village and sent to live as a slave in South Carolina. From forging her way to freedom and fighting for the British Loyalists, a move to Halifax where she discovers a new kind of oppression, and eventual return to Sierra Leonne, The Book Of Negroes is a sweeping must-read.
Hold my girl by Charlene Carr
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This heart-wrenching novel follows two women—Katherine and Tess—whose eggs are switched during IVF. Ten months after Katherine gives birth to the pale-skinned Rose and Tess works to recover from her own baby's stillbirth, the women receive a harrowing call from the clinic. A story of racial identity, loss, and the complexities of motherhood, Hold My Girl is perfect for fans of Jodie Picoult and Kate Hewitt.
The Long Road Home: On Blackness and Belonging by Debra Thompson
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In The Long Road Home, Debra Thompson follows the roots of Black identities in North America and the routes taken by those who have crisscrossed from Canada and the United States. Over 10 years, Thompson explores four American cities—Boston, Athens, Chicago, and Eugene—and eventually settles in Montreal. A deeply personal story of the nuances of racial history intertwining with the Underground Railroad, this book is moving and revelatory.
Harlem Sunset by Nekesa Afia
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In a riveting murder-mystery from Neksa Afia, Harlem Sunset is set in 1929 Harlem, New York. Speakeasy manager Louise Lloyd meets Nora Davies, a girl she was kidnapped alongside a decade ago. After Nora is murdered and Louise's girlfriend is framed for the crime, Louise will stop at nothing to clear her name and solve the mystery.
Each One a Furnace: Poems by Tolu Oloruntoba
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Following often-migratory birds, this collection of poetry explores adversity and migration, the struggles of diasporic peoples, and an inability to rest in the modern world.
Each One a Furnace: Poems, $20
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