Baraka Fiction

Tess has just moved to Montreal from Nova Scotia, and seeks to lose herself by getting involved in the lives of others. She befriends an older man while delivering meals to the elderly. Her interest in his past veers into obsession after she furtively goes through his photos and letters and "borrows" his journal. Though fact and fiction are blurred, they reveal a man shaken by political polarization and repression in his Latin-American homeland. Tess learns about a young, passionate man in the 1970s forced to reconcile his love for a militant young woman and his dedication to his best friend whose family is on the other side of the political divide. As she delves deeper into the man's story, she questions her own life choices, emotions and obsessions. Exploring cultural and personal memory, Almost Visible reflects on what can happen when a lonely person intervenes in another person's life. Michelle SinclairMichelle Sinclair worked for two decades on policy related to human rights. She has lived, studied or worked in Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Switzerland, and the United States. She lives in Ottawa with her family. Almost Visible is her first novel. In the media "Almost Visible is a poignant, time-traversing literary novel about the rewards of daring to involve oneself in a stranger's pain." Karen Rigby, Foreword Reviews (Sep/Oct 2022) "There is an intensity in Michelle Sinclair's writing - depth of insight into each character, each setting and each moment - that draws the reader into the words of her story. (...) Almost Visible is a powerful study in themes of cultural and personal memory ... Every word, every moment has a place in her writing. This makes for excellent reading." Anne Smith-Nochasak, The Miramichi Reader Praise "A novel that wisely and compassionately explores the self-shattering lines that exist between altruism and betrayal, cynicism and idealism, and the harsh price paid by both sides." David Adams Richards, Giller and Governor-General award winner "A story about deep human connection wrapped in images of great beauty. Sinclair's novel offers a cross-cultural exploration of a fractured past turned into a contemporary obsession. A delightful read." Claudio Palomares-Salas, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, Queen's University "In Almost Visible, Michelle Sinclair takes the reader into the lives of characters on the cusp of adulthood as they navigate their worlds. From Montréal to an unnamed "country in South America" on the verge of a civil war, we see how family secrets impact the lives of the unsuspecting. I found myself thinking about Almost Visible and the book's characters for weeks after turning the final page-always a sign of a good book." Blossom Thom, Montreal Poet, author of #HashtagRelief (Gaspereau 2017)

1949: Milne Lowell, a Canadian writer, moves to London from Montreal to edit a magazine dedicated to cultural freedom. His colleagues include Marguerite Allard, a French-Canadian anarchist, Eric Felmore, an American novelist, and Carson Ward, a British poet. Initially, the group is enthusiastic about the championship of freedom; however, uncertainty grows as unsettling and surprising encounters begin to unfold and the peripheral violence of the Cold War closes in. Foxhunt is an atmospheric exploration of passivity, loyalty, and literature in times of political upheaval. Firmly entrenched in the literary milieu of the era, it carries the reader through shell-shocked streets with suspense and intrigue. Luke Francis Beirne was born in Ireland in 1995 and grew up in Western Canada. He lives in Saint John, New Brunswick. He has ghostwritten more than a dozen genre novels. His writing has appeared in outlets such as Honest Ulsterman, Hamilton Arts & Letters, and Strange Horizons, including the award-winning story "Models." He also holds a Master's in Cultural Studies & Critical Theory from McMaster University. Foxhunt is his first novel. Praise "A remarkable first novel by a brilliant young writer." David Adams Richards "Foxhunt is an atmospheric dive into Cold War intrigue and romance and paranoia in the literary salons of postwar Europe. Spies and turncoats and secretive spin doctors move chess pieces while pushing cash and lies and clashing ideologies. With its beautifully lyrical prose, Foxhunt is an alchemic mix of realpolitik and shadowy noir." Mark Anthony Jarman In the media "Against a seamless historical and literary backdrop, Foxhunt balances compelling intrigue with vulnerable human emotions." Meg Nola, Foreword Reviews (March-April 2022)