What We All Long For - A Novel

Dionne Brand

Summary

Gripping at times, heartrending at others, What We All Long For is an ode to a generation of longing and identity, and to the rhythms and pulses of a city and its burgeoning, questioning youth. Dionne Brand's multicultural infusion follows the stories of a close circle of twenty-something second-generations living in downtown Toronto—and the secrets they hide from their families.Tuyen is a lesbian avant-garde artist and the daughter of Vietnamese parents who've never recovered from losing one of their children while in the rush to flee Vietnam in the 1970s. She rejects her immigrant family's hard-won lifestyle, and instead lives in a rundown apartment with friends—each of whom is grappling with their own familial complexities and heartache. Tuyen is love with her best friend Carla, a biracial bicycle courier. Oku is a jazz-loving poet who, unbeknowst to his Jamaican-born parents, has dropped out of college. He is tormented by his unrequited love for Jackie, a gorgeous black woman who runs a hiphop clothing store.Meanwhile, Tuyen's lost brother, Quy—now a criminal in the Thai underworld—sets out for Toronto to find his long-lost family. Gripping at times, heart-wrenching at others, Dionne Brand's What We All Long For is a story of identity, love and loss—the universal experience of being human, and discovering the nature of our longing.

Available since: 03/26/2024.

Print length: 337 pages.

Other books that might interest you

The Funeral Parlor Quilt

Ann Hazelwood

A wedding, burial traditions, and a missing quilt combine to keep the Colebridge Community locals on their toes in this crafty mystery. The third chapter in the life of Anne Brown and the Colebridge Community! In The Basement Quilt and The Potting Shed Quilt, the first and second novels by Ann Hazelwood, you became familiar with the family and friends of Anne Brown, the plucky florist whose life decisions remind us of our own. In the third book in the Colebridge Community series, even as Anne and her quilting friends welcome newcomers into their lives, they come across strange death practices and unusual (to them) uses for quilts. These events give them pause to consider life’s deeper meanings. But what do they signal for the future? The Funeral Parlor Quilt is not just the title of this sequel. As in the first two parts of the series, the quilt itself is a character. You’ll want to meet other quilt “characters” as Anne and her family and friends keep meeting life’s challenges. Praise for Ann Hazelwood and the Colebridge Community Series “I found myself immersed in the tale of this extended family and this wonderful quaint town . . . You will laugh, cry and share in their hopes and dreams.” —Community News “Ann Hazelwood knows a few things about the human spirit, family and dreaming big. Add a mixture of the love of quilting and all the things Missouri historic and otherwise; you will experience the words and passion of this unique and gifted author. Enjoy the experience!”—StreetScape Magazine

Show book

Bloodborn

Kathryn Fox

“Kathryn Fox has created a forensic physician who readers of Patricia Cornwell will adore.” —James PattersonDr. Anya Crichton, the protagonist of Kathryn Fox’s critically acclaimed thrillers Without Consent and Malicious Intent returns in Bloodborn, a spellbinding new masterwork of crime fiction that fans of C.S.I. and Bones will adore. New York Times bestseller Kathy Reichs raves, “Like Fox, her creator, Anya Crichton is a force of nature. Bloodborn is a medical thriller that grips from first page to last.” Gritty and powerful, Bloodborn plunges Anya into her most explosive and dangerous investigation of all, as she confronts a seemingly untouchable family of criminals responsible for a series of savage and shocking murders.

Show book

In the Shadow of Revenge

Patricia Hale

Everybody thought brilliant Cecily would leave dead-end Millers Falls for something better. But a two-decades-old tragedy locks her in place. Few understand the fierce bond that Cecily and Amelia share with Hilary, who was assaulted one summer as the two other girls watched helplessly. It's a bond of love and guiltand a desire for vengeance that cuts clear to the bone.So Assistant DA Cecily Minos waits, eager to see the guy in her courtroom. When Amelia meets a man who has the tattoo the girls remember seeing that day, they think they've finally caught a break. But the police refuse to reopen the case, and it's up to Cecily and Amelia to pursue their suspect.Their investigation soon uncovers secrets best left buried. But the law is slow, and they've waited long enough for revenge71,000 words

Show book

Murder in the Smithsonian

Margaret Truman

In a mystery replete with “nonstop action and a brilliantly evocative setting,” a noted historian is murdered at the National Museum of Art (Booklist).   Dr. Lewis Tunney, a brilliant historian who had stumbled onto an international art scandal, was brutally murdered in front of two hundred guests at an elegant party at the Smithsonian.   Taking the case, DC police Cpt. Mac Hanrahan begins to uncover a web of secrets, lies, and revenge surrounding the historian’s killing. From the deceased Tunney’s strong-willed fiancée, Heather McBean, to the congressmen with secrets to hide, Hanrahan finds himself unsure who to believe. Soon after, two more murders add to the intrigue.  Murder in the Smithsonian is the fourth volume in Margaret Truman’s beloved Capital Crimes series, in which Truman enlivens history with her first-hand knowledge as the daughter of US President Harry S. Truman. Each of the novels revolve around Washington, DC, and its landmarks. The Smithsonian’s museums, with their quirky staff, forensic scientists, and sometimes-spooky exhibits are the perfect setting for a thrilling political crime novel.   “Truman’s novels of Washington will continue to entertain both mystery and Washington buffs.” —The Washington Post

Show book

The Best American Mystery...

Elizabeth George

The Anthony Award–winning author presents a “highly readable” anthology featuring mysteries by Stephen King, Megan Abbott, Elmore Leonard and more (Publishers Weekly).   “What you’ll find in this volume are stories that demonstrate a mastery of plotting; stories that compel you to keep turning the pages because of plot and because of setting; stories that wield suspense like a sword; stories of people getting their comeuppance; stories that utilize superb point of view; stories that plumb one particular and unfortunate attribute of a character,” promises guest editor Elizabeth George in her introduction.  The Best American Mystery Stories 2016 is a feast of both literary crime and hard-boiled detection, featuring a seemingly innocent murderer, a drug dealer in love, a drunken prank gone terribly wrong, and plenty of other surprising twists and turns.  The Best American Mystery Stories 2016 includes entries by Steve Almond, Megan Abbott, Matt Bell, Lydia Fitzpatrick, Tom Franklin, Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and others.  “There isn’t enough Xanax in anyone’s medicine cabinet to calm the jitters these 20 skillful stories will unleash on a worried world.” —Kirkus Reviews

Show book

The Jane Austen Quilt Club

Ann Hazelwood

Anne Brown and the Colebridge community quilters channel their inner Jane Austens to get through the trials and tribulations of the new year together. 
 
In The Basement Quilt, The Potting Shed Quilt, and The Funeral Parlor Quilt, you have become familiar with Anne Brown as well as her family and friends who encounter many of the same ups and downs as most of us. In this fourth novel, join them as they create a Jane Austen masterpiece that represents each one of the group members’ life situations. When they enter their quilt in a contest, how does an entirely different quilt end up at the show? Solve the mystery with them as they persevere through challenges, both personal and professional. Travel with Anne as she takes us on her unique adventure of life in the Colebridge community. 
 
Praise for Ann Hazelwood and the Colebridge Community Series 
 
“I found myself immersed in the tale of this extended family and this wonderful quaint town . . . You will laugh, cry and share in their hopes and dreams.” —Community News 
 
“Ann Hazelwood knows a few things about the human spirit, family and dreaming big. Add a mixture of the love of quilting and all the things Missouri historic and otherwise; you will experience the words and passion of this unique and gifted author. Enjoy the experience!” —StreetScape Magazine

Show book