Shrewed

In Shrewed, Globe and Mail columnist Elizabeth Renzetti asks the questions many of us ask as women: Why are there so few women in politics? Why must we feel unsafe in public spaces? Will things always be this way? However, the collection of essays really shines when Renzetti turns the lens toward her own life, sharing her experiences as a daughter, wife, mother, and journalist in a male-dominated world. Quick-witted and eye-opening, Shrewed exemplifies that famous line: “The personal is political.”

Things Are Good Now

Things Are Good Now by Djamila Ibrahim is a collection of fictional narratives that explore the emotional impact of migration on humans. It’s also a stark, and necessary, reminder of the real-life experiences migrants face on a daily basis. As a former acting senior advisor for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ibrahim’s personal experience, including immigrating to Canada in 1990 from Ethiopia, was clearly an asset when writing her book.

While diverse characters are one of the book’s many strengths, Things Are Good Now excels best because Ibrahim covers such a wide range of issues. From dealing with racism in a post-9/11 world, struggling with identity and familial and societal expectations, and coping with regrets, Ibrahim thoughtfully and powerfully exposes many struggles of migration.

Standalone chapters give readers glimpses into the lives of men, women, and children, each character having no relation or interaction with the others. Their stories are all interconnected simply by themes, including belonging and hope.

While Ibrahim uses dialogue and other text to briefly explain the history of human migration and the migrant experience, it makes readers want to learn more. A relatable book for some and a new perspective for others, Things Are Good Now should be included on every to-be-read list. Each story is powerful and important, and each voice, while fictional, is a perfect representation of hard truths. These voices should be heard.

This Accident of Being Lost

This Accident of Being Lost is a powerful collection of short stories and songs by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who is quickly becoming known as one of the country’s greatest storytellers. Unique in its fragmented and casual, yet lyrical and elegant language, This Accident of Being Lost introduces readers to memorable and resilient characters, most grappling with uncertainty. From boreal forests to the Great Lakes, and from urban centres to rural communities, This Accident of Being Lost forces readers to look at Canada differently.

Barrelling Forward

Barrelling Forward, a debut short story collection by emerging Newfoundland writer Eva Crocker, presents compelling tales of the so-called “ordinary” within Canada. Through 14 pieces, readers are acquainted with intensely realistic descriptions of both personhood and setting. The chafing, itching skin of a man is delineated in the short story, “Dealing with Infestation.” And in the title piece, a long voyage through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Montreal, and a rain storm is brought to life through goldfish crackers and triangular sandwiches. While Toronto’s characteristic diversity is more or less elided during Crocker’s descriptions of the city in “Auditioning,” Barrelling Forward is, overall, an intimate and fascinating read.