In the Upper Country A Novel
In the Upper Country A Novel by Kai Thomas is a literary work published by Penguin on January 9, 2024. This 352-page novel is presented in English and explores the intertwined fates of two women against the backdrop of the Underground Railroad in 1800s Canada. The narrative follows young Lensinda Martin, who works for a Black journalist, as she encounters an old woman with a complex past. Their meeting sparks a profound exchange of stories that reveals the shared histories of Black and Indigenous peoples in North America.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of themes including family life and cultural heritage as the characters navigate their intertwined destinies. The story unfolds in Dunmore, a town settled by those escaping enslavement, and delves into the challenges Lensinda faces as she seeks to uncover her own past while engaging with the old woman’s secrets. In the Upper Country presents a unique perspective on survival and connection, weaving together narratives that highlight the resilience of marginalized communities.
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*WINNER OF THE 2023 WRITER’S TRUST ATWOOD GIBSON PRIZE*
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOVERNER GENERAL’S AWARD FOR FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE AMAZON CANADA FIRST NOVEL AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE RAKUTEN KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 HURSTON/WRIGHT LEGACY AWARD IN DEBUT FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 WALTER SCOTT HISTORICAL FICTION AWARD
The fates of two unforgettable women—one just beginning a journey of reckoning and self-discovery and the other completing her life’s last vital act—intertwine in this sweeping, powerful novel set at the terminus of the Underground Railroad.
In the 1800s in Dunmore, a Canadian town settled by people fleeing enslavement in the American south, young Lensinda Martin works for a crusading Black journalist.
One night, a neighboring farmer summons Lensinda after a slave hunter is shot dead on his land by an old woman who recently arrived via the Underground Railroad. When the old woman refuses to flee before the authorities arrive, the farmer urges Lensinda to gather testimony from her before she can be condemned for the crime.
But the old woman doesn’t want to confess. Instead she proposes a barter: a story for a story. And so begins an extraordinary exchange of tales that reveal an interwoven history of Black and Indigenous peoples in a wide swath of what is called North America.
As time runs out, Lensinda is challenged to uncover her past and face her fears in order to make good on the bargain of a story for a story. And it seems the old woman may carry a secret that could shape Lensinda’s destiny.
Traveling along the path of the Underground Railroad from Virginia to Michigan, from the Indigenous nations around the Great Lakes, to the Black refugee communities of Canada, In the Upper Country weaves together unlikely stories of love, survival, and familial upheaval that map the interconnected history of the peoples of North America in an entirely new and resonant way.
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