We Two Alone by Jack Wang
A masterful collection of stories that dramatizes the Chinese diaspora across the globe over the past hundred years, We Two Alone is Jack Wang’s astonishing debut work of fiction.
racism
Hour of the Crab by Patricia Robertson
If I had to pick one book that managed to capture the essence of 2020 without trying to speak about 2020 – a year we’ll be processing for decades to come – Hour of the Crab by Patricia Robertson would be up there.
Gutter Child by Jael Richardson
Jael Richardson’s debut novel, Gutter Child (2021, HarperCollins Canada)* is a forceful one that shines a spotlight on racism, colonization and the struggle to get out from under an imposed debt that only death will bring freedom from. It is … Continue reading
Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard
Policing Black Lives is the work of Montreal-based Black feminist activist and educator, Robyn Maynard. Maynard brings her considerable expertise to this book, which is packed with information about the history and continued oppression of Black people in Canada.
The Worst Dogs: A Progressive Murder Mystery by Matthew de Lacey Davidson
Set in the aptly named fictional town of Feckless Bay, The Worst Dogs is Matthew de Lacey Davidson’s first mystery novel. And, as mystery novels go, the story is a good one, but not without its faults. More on that … Continue reading
Pearleen Oliver: Canada’s Black Crusader for Civil Rights, Edited by Ronald Caplan
As the Black Lives Matter movement advances, there have been many, many new books released focussing on the history of slavery, segregation and outright racism that existed and still exists in Canada. This is particularly true in Atlantic Canada where … Continue reading
Dominoes at the Crossroads by Kaie Kellough
In Dominoes at the Crossroads Kaie Kellough maps an alternate nation--one populated by Caribbean Canadians who hopscotch across the country. The characters navigate race, class, and coming-of-age.
Exile Blues by Douglas Gary Freeman
Exile Blues could be one of the most important Black History novels to appear in recent years, and Douglas Gary Freeman is a writer worthy of consideration.
Black Cop: My 36 years in police work, and my career ending experiences with official racism by Calvin Lawrence, With Miles Howe
The title and subtitle pretty much sum up what this book is about: being black and facing systemic racism in two police organizations in a 36-year career. Calvin Lawrence was born in 1949 in Yarmouth and raised in Halifax. His … Continue reading
The Afrikaner by Arianna Dagnino
For the third year in a row, Naomi of the Consumed by Ink book review blog and I have guest-hosted each other’s reviews and my review of The Afrikaner by Arianna Dagnino can be found there. Her reviews are remarkable … Continue reading
Daniel Paul, Mi’kmaw Elder by Jon Tattrie
-winning author Jon Tattrie, whose most recent book, Redemption Songs (2016, Potterfield Press) was about the history of Black Africans in North America, has turned his attention to one of the most prominent First Nations personages, Daniel N. Paul, Mi’kmaw … Continue reading
Brother by David Chariandy
The following review is by Naomi MacKinnon of Consumed by Ink, and is reproduced here with her kind permission.
you’re looking for that one beautiful gem, David Chariandy’s Brother just might be it. It’s raw and honest, and the … Continue reading
Gravitational Fields by Harry Rajchgot
“A Novel of Peacetime & War”, Gravitational Fields (2016) by Harry Rajchgot is an epic (450 pages) story that covers the events of the Jewish people from pre-WWII through the struggle to establish the Israeli State to living in Canada. … Continue reading
Blackbird Calling by Laura Swart
When I first received Blackbird Calling (Quattro Books, 2016) and started reading it, I soon put it aside because I wasn’t ready for it, my mind wanted an ‘easy’ read at the time (it being summertime and the season of … Continue reading
What Killed Jane Creba by Anita Arvast
Subtitled Rap, Race, and the Invention of a Gang War, What Killed Jane Creba (2016, Dundurn) is an investigative look into the circumstances surrounding the accidental shooting death of a girl in downtown Toronto in 2005.
It was Boxing Day … Continue reading