Congratulations on the publication of THE STORY OF US by Catherine Hernandez publishing today in Canada (Harper Collins)!
From the author of Canada Reads finalist Scarborough, a stunning new novel about the unbreakable bond of family and the magic that can happen when we meet in the middle.
Like many Overseas Filipino Workers, Mary Grace Concepcion has lived a life of sacrifices. First, she left her husband, Ale, to be a caregiver in Hong Kong. Now, she has travelled even farther, to Canada, in the hopes of one day sponsoring Ale and having children of their own.
But when she arrives in Toronto, she must navigate a series of bewildering and careless employers and unruly children. Mary Grace seeks new employment as a Personal Support Worker and begins caring for Liz, an elderly patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, whose health is as fragile as her rundown bungalow beside the Rouge River in Scarborough. While Mary Grace’s time with her charge challenges her conservative beliefs, she soon becomes Liz’s biggest ally, and the friendship that grows between them will turn out to be just as legendary as Liz’s past.
Beautifully narrated by the all-seeing eye of Mary Grace’s newborn baby, The Story of Us is a novel about sisterhood, about blood and chosen family, and about how belonging can be found where we least expect it.
Praise for THE STORY OF US:
“Catherine Hernandez has written a book that will make you feel as though your heart has grown twice the size once you put it down. A Filipina woman’s life story is narrated from the perspective of her future unborn fetus in achingly beautiful, lyrical and astonishing prose. . . . An extraordinary portrayal of the powers of chosen families, told with profound pathos, wonderful humour. It is a story of a modern Canadian family and its marvelous incarnations and offers an explosive commentary on the power of acceptance and inclusion as a path towards happiness.”
– Heather O’Neill, author of When We Lost Our Heads
“Catherine Hernandez delves into profound emotional truths through economical yet exquisite prose, creating nuanced, well-formed characters that leap off the page. With a unique narrator and inventive storytelling, The Story of Us expertly captures the complexities and joys of human connection. Hernandez is an exceptional writer.”
– Zalika Reid-Benta, author of Frying Plantain
“Warm-hearted and emotionally searing . . . . An enduring portrait of found family, the solace to be found in an intersectional community, and the miracle of finding love and belonging in unlikely places. This book will resonate with you long after turning the last page.”
– Uzma Jalaluddin, author of Hana Khan Carries On and Ayesha At Last
Catherine Hernandez (she/her) is an award-winning author and screenwriter. She is a proud queer woman who is of Filipino, Spanish, Chinese and Indian descent and married into the Navajo Nation. Her first novel, SCARBOROUGH, won the Jim Wong-Chu Award for the unpublished manuscript; was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Awards, the Evergreen Forest of Reading Award, the Edmund White Award, and the Trillium Book Award; and a finalist for Canada Reads 2022.
She has written the critically acclaimed plays Singkil, The Femme Playlist and Eating with Lola and the children’s books M Is for Mustache: A Pride ABC Book and I Promise. Her second novel, CROSSHAIRS, published simultaneously in Canada and the US and the UK, was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Award and made the CBC’s Best Canadian Fiction, NOW Magazine’s 10 Best Books, Indigo Best Book, Audible Best Audiobooks and NBC 20 Best LGBTQ Books list of 2020. Her third children’s book, WHERE DO YOUR FEELINGS LIVE? which is a guide for kids living through these scary times, has been commissioned by HarperCollins Canada and will be published in winter 2022.
Catherine is represented by Marilyn Biderman.