Cormorant Books: 42 books

Mink is a witness, a shape shifter, compelled to follow the story that has ensnared Celia and her village, on the West coast of Vancouver Island in Nuu’Chahlnuth territory. Celia is a seer who — despite being convinced she’s a little “off” — must heal her village with the assistance...

Ruby Swanson’s life changed when her sixteen-year-old son walked to her office, closed the door, and with his hand still on the doorknob said, “I’m gay.” Despite her initial reaction of shock, fear, and denial, Ruby became a public advocate for equality and acceptance of the LGBT community....

One thousand years ago, a civilization existed in Spain that was famed throughout Europe. To the horror of the Christian rulers to the north, Jews, Christians, and Moors lived together in harmony — and in doing so they created one of the most extraordinary societies the West has ever known. In...

Twenty-seven writers in Canada were asked to contribute pieces of original work describing how they see writing today. From Atwood’s opening, through writing from Indigenous writers, the reader is given a sense of how twenty-seven of the country’s finest writers see their world today. With an...

When her house in the Jamaican countryside is damaged by a hurricane, Gertrude Samphire is sent by her estranged daughter Celia to Ellesmere Lodge, an assisted living centre. Gertrude is unimpressed with her new wealthy neighbours, and spends most of her time alone. It is only through writing that...

The Pain Tree tells stories that speak to all aspects of Jamaican life. Among the characters we hear from are: poor folk making the best of past hardships (“Coal”); rich folk plotting future selfishness (“The Goodness of My Heart”); an old man, familiar with darkness, who discovers in foreign...

July 1936 and Toronto is under a record-breaking heat wave. Charlotte Frayne is the junior associate in a two-person private investigation firm, owned by T. Gilmore. Two events set the book’s plot in motion: an anti-Semitic hate letter is delivered to Gilmore, who up to now has not acknowledged...

For the suburbanites of 1960s Toronto, the Jane Loop streetcar terminal is the gateway to the vibrant and uninhibited city. For Neil Bennett, it is also an escape — escape from his father’s sadistic pranks, the taunts of childhood bullies, and the rigid propriety of his Islington neighbourhood. The...

In the midst of the sweep of history, it’s easy to anticipate that the events of twenty-five years ago might soon be lost to memory. We might forget why any of it mattered. In such conditions, it’s the responsibility of those of us who, among other things, write for the record, to use the occasion...

Loaded with grit, heart, murder, and desire, Griffintown harnesses the style of a Spaghetti Western to tell the exhilarating story of the calèche drivers of Old Montreal, the city’s urban cowboys. It s a novel ulike any other — a story of sorrow and renewal, of unexpected moments of grace. The...

Nerina, a young woman living in Venice after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, is looking for a way to move to America. Her charm and grace bring her to the attention of Helena, a woman who seeks out "individuals with useful skills" for her contacts in the international art community. Nerina...

In Life Without Death, the latest short story collection from Peter Unwin, ordinary men and women search for meaning in lives subject to change, chance, coincidence, and catastrophe. A man recalls a lifetime of love and loss while copying contacts out of his old little black book. A woman is...

When botanical artist Clare Livingstone unexpectedly inherits her uncle's property in Tuscany, she travels to Italy to learn why, despite their long estrangement and complicated past, she was chosen to maintain his legacy. The hill town of Cortona, however, won't give up its secrets easily. Clare...

Alex is a playwright suffering from writer’s block and harsh reviews. His best friend, Roy, is a theatre director with lung cancer and six months left to live. In pursuit of fresh air and great wine, they go on a road trip to the Okanagan Valley, where Roy rediscovers his passion for theatre. But...