A fierce and astounding debut novel from a crucial voice. Jael Richardson has skillfully crafted a dystopian realm that draws from the brutal realities of colonial history and the sinister injustices of the present. A heartfelt, intimate portrayal of a young protagonist’s gutsy determination to overcome the rule of a hostile regime fixed on oppressing her and her peers. . . . Gutter Child is a coming-of-age story like no other. A powerful homage to the resilience of survivors.” — Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of the Crusted Snow
“It is near impossible to write a novel that is both propulsive and intricate in its knife-sharp unpicking of our social systems, but Jael Richardson has done it. And along the way she tells the story of the bonds people make under terrible conditions—the ones that make them human, even when everything around them conspires to say they are not. Gutting and lovely.” — Thea Lim, author of An Ocean of Minutes
“A haunting and heartbreaking book. With devastating accuracy, Jael Richardson charts the life of a girl born into a cold, stratified world, one in which the basic human desire to survive becomes an act of rebellion. This is a story about the commodification of a life, the way injustice can rob someone of both a future and a past, render them a stranger even to themselves. There is a current of pain that runs through this novel, but also one of unquenchable hope, a sense that the best of our innate humanity cannot be so easily vanquished.” — Omar El Akkad, author of American War
“Both familiar and fantastical, like the best books are, Gutter Child is a story told by a writer brilliant in her craft and keenly attuned to her readers. This is a book you can’t just read; you feel it, you hear it, you carry it with you. You can’t meet Elimina Dubois without loving her and once you do, you’ll follow her to the very last line.” — Cherie Dimaline, author of Empire of Wild and The Marrow Thieves
“S o meticulous it reads as effortless. With elegance and conviction, Jael Richardson immerses us in the world of the novel with one detail at a time, striking a delicious balance between assured, unhurried prose and an urgent, poignant plot. It is a literary novel to be sure, though with a cinematic quality that brings the characters, story, and setting to life with particular vividness and intensity. An absolute must-read.” — Zalika Reid-Benta, author of Frying Plantain
"A deep, unflinching yet loving look at injustice and power.” — Chatelaine
"An outstanding and fearless story that follows a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and strength as she forges her own way in a ruthless society. . . . Richardson expertly details the small beauties, hardships, and hopes that accompany such an arduous life, which makes Gutter Child a powerful and unforgettable novel. — Quill and Quire (starred review)
"Tense and suspenseful, Richardson's novel ultimately left us with a sense of hope." — Apple Books
"A gripping tale of rebellion and perseverance, but it's also about the psychological wounds of existing in a world where you are not wanted." — Zoomer magazine
“A harrowing novel about divisions of class and the struggle to maintain hope.”Hamilton Spectator
“Jael Richardson’s debut novel, Gutter Child , is a forceful one that shines a spotlight on racism, colonization and the struggle to get out from under an imposed debt that only death will bring freedom from. It is a work of creative fiction that strongly resonates in the age of Black Lives Matter and other Black activist issues. . . . An astonishingly good read.” — Miramichi Reader
"A soul-searching, beautifully detailed journey, finding the truth of her father’s life along with her own." — Linda Spalding, author of The Purchase on The Stone Thrower
"Cinematic and triumphant, a book for anyone who has ever felt on the outside looking in and longed to understand why." — Tanis Rideout, author of Above All Things on The Stone Thrower
“In Ealey Richardson’s valuable addition to the body of memoirs about family and identity, there is much to be discovered about fathers and daughters [and] the different ways of experiencing blackness." — Lawrence Hill, bestselling author of The Book of Negroes on The Stone Thrower
It is near impossible to write a novel that is both propulsive and intricate in its knife-sharp unpicking of our social systems, but Jael Richardson has done it. And along the way she tells the story of the bonds people make under terrible conditions—the ones that make them human, even when everything around them conspires to say they are not. Gutting and lovely.”
A fierce and astounding debut novel from a crucial voice. Jael Richardson has skillfully crafted a dystopian realm that draws from the brutal realities of colonial history and the sinister injustices of the present. A heartfelt, intimate portrayal of a young protagonist’s gutsy determination to overcome the rule of a hostile regime fixed on oppressing her and her peers. . . . Gutter Child is a coming-of-age story like no other. A powerful homage to the resilience of survivors.”
Both familiar and fantastical, like the best books are, Gutter Child is a story told by a writer brilliant in her craft and keenly attuned to her readers. This is a book you can’t just read; you feel it, you hear it, you carry it with you. You can’t meet Elimina Dubois without loving her and once you do, you’ll follow her to the very last line.”
“S o meticulous it reads as effortless. With elegance and conviction, Jael Richardson immerses us in the world of the novel with one detail at a time, striking a delicious balance between assured, unhurried prose and an urgent, poignant plot. It is a literary novel to be sure, though with a cinematic quality that brings the characters, story, and setting to life with particular vividness and intensity. An absolute must-read.”
A haunting and heartbreaking book. With devastating accuracy, Jael Richardson charts the life of a girl born into a cold, stratified world, one in which the basic human desire to survive becomes an act of rebellion. This is a story about the commodification of a life, the way injustice can rob someone of both a future and a past, render them a stranger even to themselves. There is a current of pain that runs through this novel, but also one of unquenchable hope, a sense that the best of our innate humanity cannot be so easily vanquished.”
A harrowing novel about divisions of class and the struggle to maintain hope.
"A deep, unflinching yet loving look at injustice and power.
"A gripping tale of rebellion and perseverance, but it's also about the psychological wounds of existing in a world where you are not wanted."
"An outstanding and fearless story that follows a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and strength as she forges her own way in a ruthless society. . . . Richardson expertly details the small beauties, hardships, and hopes that accompany such an arduous life, which makes Gutter Child a powerful and unforgettable novel.
Quill and Quire (starred review)
"Tense and suspenseful, Richardson's novel ultimately left us with a sense of hope."
In Ealey Richardson’s valuable addition to the body of memoirs about family and identity, there is much to be discovered about fathers and daughters [and] the different ways of experiencing blackness."
"A soul-searching, beautifully detailed journey, finding the truth of her father’s life along with her own."
"Cinematic and triumphant, a book for anyone who has ever felt on the outside looking in and longed to understand why."
Jael Richardson’s debut novel, Gutter Child , is a forceful one that shines a spotlight on racism, colonization and the struggle to get out from under an imposed debt that only death will bring freedom from. It is a work of creative fiction that strongly resonates in the age of Black Lives Matter and other Black activist issues. . . . An astonishingly good read.”
