A settlement worker recalls being a child soldier in Sudan; a woman from Trinidad applies to over a hundred jobs; and a teacher from Afghanistan grapples with what it means to be a migrant in a colonized land.

In Geographies of the Heart, eighteen newcomers to Canada tell their own stories, in their own voices. These accounts push back against misconceptions about immigration and immigrants by revealing that the paths into Canada are as diverse as the people who journeyed them.

Canada itself plays a pivotal role in the collection, both as saviour and oppressor. The nation is a haven and place of opportunity, but it is also not entirely benevolent and welcoming.

As increasing migration is met with growing xenophobia, the stories in Geographies of the Heart are reminders of our shared humanity.

All royalties from sales of this book will be donated to Archway Community Services.

AVA HOMA is a writer, journalist and activist specializing in women’s issues and Middle Eastern affairs. She holds an MA in English and creative writing from the University of Windsor. Her collection of short stories, Echoes from the Other Land, was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, and she is the inaugural recipient of the PEN Canada–Humber College Writers-in-Exile Scholarship. Born and raised in the Kurdistan Province of Iran, Homa now divides her time between Toronto and San Francisco. Daughters of Smoke and Fire is her debut novel.

Ava Homa's profile page

Raymonde Tickner's profile page

Amea Wilbur's profile page

Zahida Rahemtulla's profile page

Kerry Johnson has been conversing with fictional characters and devouring books since her childhood in the Connecticut woods. A long-time member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), she’s a seven-time Genesis Contest finalist and two-time winner. Kerry lives on the sunny, stormy west coast of Florida with her engineer husband, two teenaged sons, her nine-year-old niece, and way too many books. She loves long walks, all creatures great and small, and iced chai tea.

Kerry Johnson's profile page