Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Price: $24.99 CAD/ $22.99 USD
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-998206-30-8
Sarah Cartell grew up in a White supremacist family, controlled by her grandfather whose beliefs and violence mark them all. When an unexpected friendship, and the town librarian, open her mind and expose those beliefs as vile lies, Sarah begins digging up everything she can about the haters her family celebrate … and her grandmother and aunt who fled long ago.
Sarah infiltrates a Neo-Nazi gang by beginning a tumultuous relationship with a skinhead that excites and confuses her. As Sarah races to stop the tide of hate crimes, her new friends are put in danger and a horrifying family secret begins to emerge. This unraveling lands Sarah in a psychiatric ward, begging the question—can anyone escape the love of a hateful family, unscathed?
“WHITE” is available for Pre-Order https://www.amazon.ca/WHITE-Aviva-Rubin/dp/1998206300
Praise for WHITE
“Every action humans take plants a seed. WHITE brilliantly explores the yield of such seeds—good, bad, and ugly. While hate can be cultivated and passed from generation to generation, it can also be dispelled when the right people come into our lives at the right times.”
—Arno Michaelis, Author of My Life After Hate, Co-Author of The Gift of Our Wounds
“A mesmerizing tale of a small-town young woman’s valiant, misguided scheme to combat white supremacist violence. In Rubin’s gripping account, anti-Black racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia are terrifyingly present, not only out in the world, but within homes and families. Set in Canada in the 1990s, this surprising yet familiar story echoes back to the 1930s and 40s and ahead to our own troubled times.”
—Doris L. Bergen, author of War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust
“Brave, moving, and fierce, WHITE shows us the deep rot of a family’s white supremacist beliefs and a fearless daughter’s plan to infiltrate the racist groups she wants to bring down. Taut and compulsively readable, Aviva Rubin’s debut novel is as much a sharp psychological portrait of generational racism as it is an unflinching look at the realities and limitations of hope and change.”
—Laura Zigman, bestselling author of Separation Anxiety and Small World
“In this bold debut, Rubin delivers readers to the fringes of society where we find an unflinching story of the things we learn, the things we unlearn—and ultimately, the power of love, family and redemption.”
—Karen Green, author of Yellow Birds
“A bold and brave novel about the dangers of both loyalty and betrayal when the family and community we love are bonded by negative values that hurt other people and the world. Using the frame of Canadian white supremacy, Aviva Rubin brings us inside the conflicted heart and mind of one young woman who finally makes the break and decides, at great personal cost, to say No.”
—Sarah Schulman, Author
Aviva Rubin eloquently captures a young woman’s struggle with the intergenerational trauma of hate. While Sarah Cartell fights for a different world from the one she was raised to believe in, she feels unworthy of it. With humour and compassion, WHITE shines a light on the complex and transformative powers of family, friendship, speaking one’s truth.”
—Paula Klein, Psychotherapist
About the Author: Aviva Rubin
Aviva Rubin is the mother of two young men and a Toronto-based writer of memoir, essays and social commentary. Her work has been featured in numerous anthologies, The New York Times, the Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Toronto Life and Zoomer, amongst others. Rubin is the author of the memoir, Lost and Found in Lymphomaland –– a harrowing and funny trip through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. WHITE is her debut novel.
WEBSITE: http://avivarubin.ca/
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Aviva is available for interviews. Discussion points include:
- The author’s anti-fascist activism in the 1990’s
- Her experience broadly, and as a patient and patient advocate as it relates to the mental health issues in WHITE
- The impact of multi-generational family trauma
- The background research required for the novel––are the events described true?
- Any personal connection between the author and the main character Sarah Cartell?
- The reticence of the author to use an absolute/good and evil framework
- Why it is important to be talking about White supremacy, racism, hate, and anti-Semitism today
- Are these extreme views and systems of belief more acceptable and less marginal today?
- In the context of a current upswing in anti-Semitism, what WHITE says about the need for awareness and vigilance
About RE:BOOKS:
RE:BOOKS, a prominent independent publishing house in Toronto, was established by renowned 10x bestselling author, Rebecca Eckler. With a mission to champion the idea that “what’s good is read and what’s read is good,” RE:BOOKS is dedicated to delivering captivating stories that even Eckler herself would love to devour. No book snobs allowed!
RE:BOOKS helps women get their books published—from the big idea to the bestsellers’ list. No excuses. No sugarcoating. By curating the most exciting titles in Canadian publishing, they continue to inspire readers, offering a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction titles.
WEBSITE: https://rebooks.ca/
INSTAGRAM: @inspiredbyrebooks
