A witty, layered and compelling novel about a woman with Down Syndrome, exploring textile art, sibling relationships, friendships, and good intentions gone awry.

What is intellectual disability? Ask Bruno, who is at his wits' end trying to predict what his sister, Mina, will do next. Ask Iris, who is entranced by the wildly inventive embroidery Mina creates. Ask Gabriela, who loves Mina and disagrees when Bruno uses Mina's constant demands as an excuse not to have a child.

Meet Mina in her overstuffed Montreal apartment, surrounded by her treasures. She knows she is the best paper sorter at the recycling plant where she works. She is proud to be diabetic but equally happy to cheat on her diet. The colours she stitches hum with life.

Colours in Her Hands is a nuanced and thought-provoking novel about family, about art, about questioning the way the world treats those who are different. With an unforgettable voice, Mina navigates the labyrinth that society sets for her with dignity, inventiveness, and aplomb.

Alice Zorn is the author of two novels and a book of short fiction. Her novel Five Roses was translated into French and was a finalist for the Ontario Library Association Evergreen Award. Her collection Ruins and Relics was a finalist for the Quebec Writers' Federation's First Book Award. She has twice placed first in Prairie Fire's fiction contest, won the Manitoba Magazine Award for Fiction, and has published stories in literary journals including The Fiddlehead and The New Quarterly. Originally from Ontario, she now lives in Montreal.

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Praise for Colours in Her Hands

"A moving meditation on love and art and the creative passions and impulses that are so much greater than anyone's disabilities and make us our best selves. An achingly real, compassionate and at times hilarious read, Zorn's novel shreds how we label people and art practices to show how deeply we and they are one. Heartbreaking, uplifting—brava!" CAROL BRUNEAU author of Brighten the Corner Where You Are: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Maud Lewis

"Alice Zorn has placed a singular woman at the heart of a vibrantly coloured world in this beautiful meditation on art and those who make it." CLAIRE HOLDEN ROTHMAN author of Lear's Shadow

"Mina is in my top-ten list of memorable fiction characters. It is fascinating to watch her make sense of the world through her embroidery and fairy tales. . . . a meticulously crafted novel." H. NIGEL THOMAS novelist, poet, essayist, and the 2022 laureate for the John Molson Prize for the Arts