Sarah Raughley recommends three books by Canadian authors with themes of diverse identities and experiences
Sarah Raughley is a fantasy novelist from Southern Ontario. Raughley is the author of the novel The Bones of Ruin and the YA series Effigies, which includes the books Fate of Flames, Siege of Shadows and Legacy of Light. Raughley's stories typically feature elements of magic, otherworldly powers and the fantastical.
Raughley spoke with Shelagh Rogers about three books by Canadian authors that fall under the #OwnVoices social media hashtag: Like Home by Louisa Onomé, Some Other Now by Sarah Everett and Sisters of the Snake by Sasha Nanua & Sarena Nanua.
"The hashtag started by a white author named Corinne Duyvis who identifies as being disabled. She realized that simply asking for diversity in books isn't really enough — because there are actually a lot of people who are writing diverse characters, but they're not necessarily marginalized themselves," said Raughley.
"There isn't anything necessarily wrong with that. But I think the point of #OwnVoices is to say disabled authors do exist and they're writing their own stories," she added.
"Black authors do exist, trans authors do exist, and they're writing their own stories. We need more of those authors to be let in the door and have a chance to build their own profile in the writing world."
Like Home by Louisa Onomé
"Onomé is a Nigerian Canadian author like me. This is her debut novel. Like Home is a book about gentrification, but Onomé looks at it from a personal level. It discusses how gentrification can affect children, their relationships and psychologically affects how they view the world.
"There's multiple perspectives in the book, but we largely follow a Nigerian main character named Nelo as she experiences and internalizes every stage of gentrification. This time, the target is her neighborhood called Ginger East in Toronto. She lost her best friend due to this idea that Ginger East is this dangerous neighborhood.
Like Home is a book about gentrification, but Onomé looks at it from a personal level.
"That kind of talk about a marginalized neighborhood starts the ball rolling on this gentrification process where suddenly big businesses are moving and trying to make the community more palatable. Property prices are being hiked, so the regular inhabitants can't afford to live there anymore. Nelo resists this with all of her being. But you also see just how difficult it is to stand against these larger, powerful business and government forces.
"It's a really heartfelt story."
Some Other Now by Sarah Everett
"Everett is a Nigerian Canadian author based in Edmonton. She's been called the master of teen drama. If you read this book, you'll definitely understand why. First of all, don't read this novel without, like a box of tissues next to you, because I was very emotional about reading this.
"It's the love story between three teens: the Cohen brothers and a girl named Jessie, who's stuck in between them.
As much as the book is dealing with loss, grieving and families falling apart, it's also dealing with second chances.
"The novel takes you on two different timelines. The main character, Jessie, is dealing with a lot in her youth. She has an absentee mother, who's struggling with severe mental health issues, and an absentee father. She builds this family relationship with the Cohen brothers, Rowan and Luke and their mother.
"As much as the book is dealing with loss, grieving and families falling apart, it's also dealing with second chances. I appreciated that, even though there's a lot of heartbreak in this book, there's a lot of healing as well."
Sisters of the Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nanua
"The authors are twin South Asian Canadian sisters. I met them when they were book bloggers and university students — and now they're authors. I'm so proud of them.
"This YA series or duology is like Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. If you're interested in the Olsen twins and those twin 'switcheroo' type plots, that's definitely what you're getting with this book.
"It's this idea of twins switching places. It's about how they come to understand each other's lives, where they come from and how they're connected. And there's this bigger story in terms of what kept them apart and this bigger evil that they have to sort of come together to take down.
It's this idea of twins switching places. It's about how they come to understand each other's lives, where they come from and how they're connected.
"It's cool to see the dynamics of sisterhood in the book. You're also getting a South Asian fantasy in a high stakes world, which I loved."
Sarah Raughley's comments have been edited for length and clarity.
