The Lost Sister

This “haunting, consistently entrancing” novel of loss, redemption and immigrant life “evokes questions that are pressing and profound” (Quill & Quire, starred review). As the children of a Toronto immigrant family, Alisha has grown up in the shadow of her studious older sister Diana. But now Diana is missing, having never returned from a local job fair. The family’s worst fears are confirmed when Diana’s body is discovered in the woods. Shattered by the loss, Alisha is also haunted by a guilty secret: she may know the killer’s identity—and yet she can’t tell anyone. As her family unravels, Alisha finds unexpected solace when she befriends a woman who volunteers at her school. Paula was once an orphan in the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. Estranged from her own sister, Paula helps Alisha understand that redemption and peace can only happen when we face difficult truths. Partly inspired by the true experiences of a formed resident of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children, The Lost Sister bravely explores themes of child abuse, neglect, and abduction against a complex interplay of gender, race, and class dynamics.