In the Upper Country

Set in the Black communities of Ontario along the path of the Underground Railroad, this powerful debut explores the intertwined lives of two women—one at the beginning of her journey of self-discovery and the other nearing the end of her life—through a rich tapestry of stories, history, and secrets. As an old woman named Cash and a young protégé named Lensinda exchange tales, they reveal the complex history of North America’s Indigenous, Black, and refugee communities. The narrative weaves themes of love, survival, and family against a backdrop of broader historical conflicts and connections across the US-Canada border.