I’m thrilled to have my debut novel, Dreaming Home, shortlisted for the Fred Kerner Prize. The Fred Kerner Book Award is awarded annually to a Canadian Authors member who has the best overall book published in the previous calendar year, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Judges comments for Dreaming Home:
“From the opening sentence we know we’re in the hands of a master craftsman. This novel opens up through multiple, connected points of view into a landscape that’s deeply problematic: from the damaged father, through the gay son who refuses to accept the deal he’s been dealt, to the sister who propelled them into this abyss. Trauma impacts them all in unexpected and illuminating ways. Challenging and poignant, but ultimately joyful.”
“A poignant and sensitively written story of the profound repercussions of a forced outage of a young boy by his sibling and the decades-long fallout that ensues for him, his family members, and his lovers. Told from multiple perspectives, the narrative is compelling and heartbreaking, with a gentle hint of humour.”
Lara Jean Okihiro, Toronto, ON, and Janis Bridger, Vancouver, BC
Obaasan’s Boots (Second Story Press)
Caroline Vu, Montreal, QC
Catinat Boulevard (Guernica Editions)
Ifeoma Chinwuba, Ottawa, ON
Sons of the East (Griots Lounge Canada)
Kathryn Mockler, Victoria, BC
Anecdotes (Book*hug Press)
