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.

Originally from Ontario, Alice Zorn lives in Montreal. She has published short fiction in magazines, and placed first in Prairie Fire's 2006 and 2011 Fiction Contests. Her first collection of short stories, Ruins & Relics, was a finalist for the 2009 McAuslan Quebec Writers' Federation First Book Prize.

Alice's first novel, Arrhythmia, was released by NeWest Press in May 2011 to critical acclaim. Her second novel, Five Roses, appeared with Dundurn Press in 2016.

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