These stories, poems, and one essay are the outpourings of women who spent time writing together at the Newcomer Women's Services (NEW), Toronto. In their creations they move their words from their hearts, from their bellies, from their souls. Losing all shyness, self-doubt, worry, and concern about being judged, they have written about themselves, their families, and issues of power over life. They have found their voice within; and dashed their words onto paper with abandon, hurrying to bring them to light, lest they run back to their secret hiding places.

Newcomer Women's profile page

Newcomer Women's Services Toronto was founded by a group of Latin American refugees in 1983. For the past thirty years they have been helping immigrant women from all around the world to become part of the wider community. With the help of volunteers and community workers, the all-female staff provides employment and settlement services, skills development, and language training, completely free of charge.

"This Collection is a valuable expansion of, and addition to, the cultural lexicon of Canada; it will fit nicely into place within Canada's plurality of cultures. Women's Studies Programmes, Gender Studies Programmes, Immigration and Diasporic Studies will consider it a blessing in that it contains a varied set of creative renderings on issues that are at the centre of women's lives. Above all, it is a rarity to find between the same two covers, the creative outpouring of women from Bangladesh, Colombia, Germany, Iran, Jamaica, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad. I enjoyed the heart statements, the pensive moments, the poetic gaze, and the often enigmatic yet profound revelations . . . And I love the silences that arrive at the most appropriate moments. ... I feel sure that every school library and public library will want to make this book available to their community of readers. Newcomer women sharing their feelings, passions, politics, joys, and views on life with all and sundry is noteworthy; and especially because they are doing so in creative writing." --Dr. Althea Prince, Author and University Professor