SAGA BOY

An enthralling, deeply personal account of a young immigrant's search for belonging and black identity amid the long-lasting effects of cultural dislocation.

Raised by his indomitable grandmother in the lush rainforest of southern Trinidad, Downing, at age eleven, is uprooted to Canada when she dies. But to a very unusual part of Canada: H e and his older brother are sent to live with his stern, evangelical Aunt Joan, in Wabigoon, a tiny northern Ontario community where they are the only Black children in the town. In this wilderness, he begins his journey as an immigrant minority, using mus ic and performance to dramatically transform himself. At the heart of his odyssey is the
longing for a home.

He tries to flee his messy life by transforming into a series of extravagant musical personalities, yet like his father and grandfather, he has b ecome a Saga Boy a Trinidadian playboy, addicted to escapism, attention, and sex. When the inevitable crash happens, he finds himself in a cold stone jail cell. He has become everything he was trying to escape and must finally face himself.

Richly ev ocative, Saga Boy is a heart wrenching but uplifting story of a lonely immigrant boy who overcomes adversity and abandonment to reclaim his black identity and embrace a rich heritage.

ANTONIO MICHAEL DOWNING grew up in southern Trinidad; Northern Ontario; Brooklyn, New York; and Kitchener, Ontario. He is a musician, writer, and activist based in Toronto. His novel, Molasses, was published to critical acclaim. In 2017, he was named by the RBC Taylor Prize as one of Canada's top Emerging Writers of non-fiction. He performs and composes music as John Orpheus.