Story of Us, The

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Longlist - Toronto Book Awards

Nominee - Forest of Reading Evergreen Award

Selection - Amnesty International Book Club

From the author of Canada Reads finalist Scarborough, a stunning new novel about the unbreakable bond of family and the magic that can happen when we meet in the middle

Like many Overseas Filipino Workers, Mary Grace Concepcion has lived a life of sacrifices. First, she left her husband, Ale, to be a caregiver in Hong Kong. Now, she has travelled even farther, to Canada, in the hopes of one day sponsoring Ale and having children of their own.

But when she arrives in Toronto, she must navigate a series of bewildering and careless employers and unruly children. Mary Grace seeks new employment as a Personal Support Worker and begins caring for Liz, an elderly patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, whose health is as fragile as her rundown bungalow beside the Rouge River in Scarborough. While Mary Grace’s time with her charge challenges her conservative beliefs, she soon becomes Liz’s biggest ally, and the friendship that grows between them will turn out to be just as legendary as Liz’s past.

Beautifully narrated by the all-seeing eye of Mary Grace’s newborn baby, The Story of Us is a novel about sisterhood, about blood and chosen family, and about how belonging can be found where we least expect it.

This heartwarming novel is a must-read for anyone interested in untold stories of the immigrant experience, particularly those of BIPOC women who work as nannies, PSWs, and caregivers.

Set in Scarborough and Toronto, The Story of Us explores the bonds of chosen family and allyship that can form across generations and cultures.

HarperCollins 2024