JAEL RICHARDSON is the executive director of the Festival of Literary Diversity, a books columnist on CBC Radio's q and an outspoken advocate on issues of diversity. She is the author of The Stone Thrower: A Daughter's Lesson, a Father's Life, a memoir based on her relationship with her father, CFL quarterback Chuck Ealey, and the children's book Because You Are. Jael Richardson received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Guelph. She lives in Brampton, Ontario.
"A fierce and astounding debut novel from a crucial voice. Jael
Richardson has skillfully crafted a dystopian realm that draws from
the brutal realities of colonial history and the sinister
injustices of the present. A heartfelt, intimate portrayal of a
young protagonist's gutsy determination to overcome the rule of a
hostile regime fixed on oppressing her and her peers. . . . Gutter
Child is a coming-of-age story like no other. A powerful homage to
the resilience of survivors." -- Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of
the Crusted Snow"It is near impossible to write a novel that is
both propulsive and intricate in its knife-sharp unpicking of our
social systems, but Jael Richardson has done it. And along the way
she tells the story of the bonds people make under terrible
conditions--the ones that make them human, even when everything
around them conspires to say they are not. Gutting and lovely." --
Thea Lim, author of An Ocean of Minutes "A haunting and
heartbreaking book. With devastating accuracy, Jael Richardson
charts the life of a girl born into a cold, stratified world, one
in which the basic human desire to survive becomes an act of
rebellion. This is a story about the commodification of a life, the
way injustice can rob someone of both a future and a past, render
them a stranger even to themselves. There is a current of pain that
runs through this novel, but also one of unquenchable hope, a sense
that the best of our innate humanity cannot be so easily
vanquished."
-- Omar El Akkad, author of American War"Both familiar and
fantastical, like the best books are, Gutter Child is a story told
by a writer brilliant in her craft and keenly attuned to her
readers. This is a book you can't just read; you feel it, you hear
it, you carry it with you. You can't meet Elimina Dubois without
loving her and once you do, you'll follow her to the very last
line."
-- Cherie Dimaline, author of Empire of Wild and The Marrow
Thieves"So meticulous it reads as effortless. With elegance and
conviction, Jael Richardson immerses us in the world of the novel
with one detail at a time, striking a delicious balance between
assured, unhurried prose and an urgent, poignant plot. It is a
literary novel to be sure, though with a cinematic quality that
brings the characters, story, and setting to life with particular
vividness and intensity. An absolute must-read." -- Zalika
Reid-Benta, author of Frying Plantain"A deep, unflinching yet
loving look at injustice and power." -- Chatelaine"An outstanding
and fearless story that follows a young woman's journey of
self-discovery and strength as she forges her own way in a ruthless
society. . . . Richardson expertly details the small beauties,
hardships, and hopes that accompany such an arduous life, which
makes Gutter Child a powerful and unforgettable novel. -- Quill and
Quire (starred review)"Tense and suspenseful, Richardson's novel
ultimately left us with a sense of hope." -- Apple Books"A gripping
tale of rebellion and perseverance, but it's also about the
psychological wounds of existing in a world where you are not
wanted." -- Zoomer magazine"A harrowing novel about divisions of
class and the struggle to maintain hope." -- Hamilton
Spectator"Jael Richardson's debut novel, Gutter Child, is a
forceful one that shines a spotlight on racism, colonization and
the struggle to get out from under an imposed debt that only death
will bring freedom from. It is a work of creative fiction that
strongly resonates in the age of Black Lives Matter and other Black
activist issues. . . . An astonishingly good read." -- Miramichi
Reader"A soul-searching, beautifully detailed journey, finding the
truth of her father's life along with her own." -- Linda Spalding,
author of The Purchase on The Stone Thrower"Cinematic and
triumphant, a book for anyone who has ever felt on the outside
looking in and longed to understand why." -- Tanis Rideout, author
of Above All Things on The Stone Thrower"In Ealey Richardson's
valuable addition to the body of memoirs about family and identity,
there is much to be discovered about fathers and daughters [and]
the different ways of experiencing blackness." -- Lawrence Hill,
bestselling author of The Book of Negroes on The Stone Thrower
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