Translated from French by Elaine Kennedy.

Raymond Dossougbé flees the misery of his hometown in Benin and arrives in Toronto, which as soon as he arrives charms him. He sees the city as a place of freedom and light, a sanctuary where he, like so many others, can begin anew. He is thrilled by its fast, organized pace, and by its vastness and diversity of peoples. Without prejudices or preconceptions, he allows himself to be fraternized by both the white and the black segments of society. He sees deep poverty, extreme wealth, and racism, and also the different aspects of the global black experience. Eventually he finds his bearings in this new world and comes to a better understanding of himself and the colourful characters around him.

Toronto, je t'aime won the Prix Trillium when it first came out in 2000.

Didier Leclair's profile page

Elaine Kennedy studied English literature, French language, and translation in North America and Europe. She has worked as a translator in the academic and cultural sectors. The 2014 3Macs carte blanche Prize co-winner and a 2019 Toronto Book Award finalist, she presently focuses on literary translation. She lives in Victoria, BC.

Elaine Kennedy's profile page

"[Leclair] helps us see the city with fresh eyes[.]" --Deborah Dundas, The Toronto Star

"[T]he quality of the prose itself provides much of the book's pleasure, translated with sensitivity by Elaine Kennedy. The descriptions of the city in particular ascend from the page." --Bronwyn Averett, Montreal Review of Books

"Over and above its literary qualities, it's a significant book because it shows that Toronto's ethnic vitality is spreading across language lines." --Ray Conlogue, The Globe and Mail.