National Network for Equitable Library Service

Beginning with seductive thoughts from Neruda's memorias, and brooding over the legends of the Haida people in British Columbia (the white raven) and Italian superstitions (the black cat), the protagonist transports the reader into the world of Canadian immigration post-WW2. On the one hand, there is the memory never wiped from the mind of the protagonist who returns and sees his old hometown as it once was. Additionally, there is the suffering caused by migration.

Elena and Mahfouz meet in Montreal in the spring of 2008. That summer, however, Mahfouz doesn't return from a trip to Cairo, and his father is picked up and held indefinitely for unknown charges on undisclosed evidence. No longer in contact with each other, Elena and Mahfouz must separately come to terms with their historical situation, preparing for a future shaped by forces they struggle to understand.

Gérard is an alcoholic and former crime reporter, gone back to live in the impoverished Montreal neighbourhood where he grew up. One night, his shoelace comes undone, delaying his return home and saving his life when his apartment building mysteriously blows up. Six of his neighbours are dead, others are missing. Plunged into a personal crisis, Gérard sets off looking for answers. Who were his neighbours and why was he spared? Is this his last chance to redeem himself?

We follow Loddy and the troupe from The Garage Theatre as their lives unfold against the backdrop of political events in Montreal starting with EXPO 67 and ending in 1970 with the October Crisis. With the city as background, Loddy-Dah explores issues of self-identity and self-acceptance, the magic of friendship and love, and the power of resilience in the face of adversity.

A story of mean drunks and happy ones, and of the women who often outlive them, My Grandmother's Pill is a rollercoaster ride through three generations of abuse and addiction. On the heels of divorce, Maude's relationship with Seamus sets the scene for her struggle to break free.

A Tale of Beauty is the story of five young women who have banded together as the Ugly Sisterhood. Chastity, a devout Catholic, has made a mission of saving her brother from a dissolute lifestyle. Diana is isolated by her own impossible standards. Sue, once hurt by a man, has made a game of avenging herself against his entire gender. Denise, the pragmatic office girl, escapes into realms of fantasy by night. Finally, there is Belle, who created and oversees the Sisterhood. She has managed to gain a hold over each of her sisters by manipulating their weaknesses and desires.

Writing Our Way Home is an important contribution to literary studies. “Italian-Canadian writers are not just Canadian writers, but world writers,” states literary critic Elena Lamberti in the introduction to Writing Our Way Home.

Hard Edge is about art, modern art and the age-old art of seduction and betrayal, set in Ontario, New York, and Paris. It tells the story of a young teacher and writer, Mark Trecroci, and his relationship with Lisa James, a serious and dedicated painter who tries to live her art without compromises.

Whether it's Toronto, a French or Italian town, Pierre L'Abbe's stories are rich with a sense of place where the ambiance and characters fuse in a loaded sense of expectation. The characters, much like those in Henry James, challenge the norms of their overbearing societies. Nothing turns out as expected, and the twists often come with a dose of black humour.

Peace Tower is about the struggles to adjust to the first year of marriage. Mark Trecroci and Jennifer Drury, a young couple in love, learn what it means to uncover the reality behind the love. Living in Ottawa, under the shadow of the Parliament Buildings, the young couple go through the painful process of trial and sacrifice to achieve a working peace. F.G. Paci is best known for Black Madonna (1982), a powerful feminist novel. Peace Tower is his twelfth novel. It is also the seventh in the novel series that began with Black Blood (1991).