We Rip the World Apart

A sweeping story about motherhood, race and secrets
A multi-generational story about motherhood, race and secrets in the lives of three women. Kareela, prompted by fear and uncertainty about the new life she carries, must come to terms with the mysteries surrounding her family's past and the need to make sense of both her identity and her future.

WINNER OF THE DARTMOUTH BOOK AWARD 2025

'A remarkable storyteller' AMANDA PETERS
'Deeply moving, yet hopeful' CHARMAINE WILKERSON

THREE WOMEN. THREE SECRETS. ONE FAMILY TORN APART.

MOTHER
When Evelyn fled to Canada with her young family during the politically charged Jamaican Exodus of the 1980s, she thought they were finally safe. But, years later, her worst fears come true when her son is killed by the police.

GRANDMOTHER
In the wake of her grandson's violent murder, Violet moves in, but despite her efforts to help the family through their grief, a growing web of secrets threatens the relationships they all hold so dear.

DAUGHTER
Kareela has lived with silences surrounding the loss of her brother since she was a child. Now, 24 and pregnant with a baby she isn't sure she wants, she feels the need to understand her place in the world as a woman who is half Black and half white - yet feels neither.

As the traumas the three women carry continue to pull them apart, Kareela must uncover the mysteries of her family's past to make sense of her identity and her future .

'A haunting story about racism, identity, and the choice between safety and raising your voice' NIGAR ALAM
'A charged emotional epic!' MARISSA STAPLEY
'Page-turning and propulsive' SHELBY VAN PELT
'A beautifully executed portrait of what it means to be a family' AMITA PARIKH

A sweeping multi-generational story about motherhood, race and secrets, We Rip the World Apart reveals the ways that simple choices, made in the heat of the moment, can have devastating repercussions across the years, especially when people remain silent.

PRAISE FOR HOLD MY GIRL:

'[A] tense, emotional story about racial identity, loss and betrayal' Daily Mail
'Fans of The Herd will love it!' Grazia
'Compelling and thought-provoking . A page-turner' Charmaine Wilkerson

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