“Brave, moving, and fierce, WHITE shows us the deep rot of a family’s white supremacist beliefs and a fearless daughter’s plan to infiltrate the racist groups she wants to bring down. Taut and compulsively readable, Aviva Rubin’s debut novel is as much a sharp psychological portrait of generational racism as it is an unflinching look at the realities and limitations of hope and change.” —Laura Zigman, bestselling author of Separation Anxiety and Small World

"Every action humans take plants a seed. WHITE brilliantly explores the yield of such seeds—good, bad, and ugly. While hate can be cultivated and passed from generation to generation, it can also be dispelled when the right people come into our lives at the right times." —Arno Michaelis, author of My Life After Hate

Sarah Cartell grew up in a White supremacist family, controlled by her grandfather whose beliefs and violence mark them all. When an unexpected friendship, and the town librarian, open her mind and expose those beliefs as vile lies, Sarah begins digging up everything she can about the haters her family celebrate . . . and her grandmother and aunt who fled long ago.

Determined to dismantle the White supremacist network in Canada, Sarah infiltrates a Neo-Nazi gang by beginning a tumultuous relationship with a skinhead that excites and confuses her. As Sarah races to stop the tide of hate crimes, her new friends are put in danger and a horrifying family secret begins to emerge. This unravelling lands Sarah in a psychiatric ward, begging the question—can anyone escape the love of a hateful family, unscathed?

Aviva Rubin is a Toronto-based independent healthcare consultant recognized for her expertise in patient engagement and advocacy for patient-centred care. With a background as a senior health policy analyst for the Ontario Government, Aviva brings a wealth of experience to her work. She is a dedicated member of advisory committees for organizations such as Leukaemia and Lymphoma Canada and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, where she works tirelessly to amplify the patient voice and shape healthcare policy. Aviva's insightful writing has been featured in esteemed publications such Globe and Mail, New York Times, and a couple of anthologies.

Aviva Rubin's profile page

“A mesmerizing tale of a small-town young woman’s valiant, misguided scheme to combat white supremacist violence. In Rubin's gripping account, anti-Black racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia are terrifyingly present, not only out in the world, but within homes and families. Set in Canada in the 1990s, this surprising yet familiar story echoes back to the 1930s and 40s and ahead to our own troubled times.”

—Doris L. Bergen, author of War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust

“In this bold debut, Rubin delivers readers to the fringes of society where we find an unflinching story of the things we learn, the things we unlearn—and ultimately, the power of love, family and redemption.”

—Karen Green, author of Yellow Birds

“Every action humans take plants a seed. WHITE brilliantly explores the yield of such seeds—good, bad, and ugly. While hate can be cultivated and passed from generation to generation, it can also be dispelled when the right people come into our lives at the right times.”

—Arno Michaelis, Author of My Life After Hate, Co-Author of The Gift of Our Wounds

“A bold and brave novel about the dangers of both loyalty and betrayal when the family and community we love are bonded by negative values that hurt other people and the world. Using the frame of Canadian white supremacy, Aviva Rubin brings us inside the conflicted heart and mind of one young woman who finally makes the break and decides, at great personal cost, to say No.”

—Sarah Schulman, Author

“Aviva Rubin eloquently captures a young woman’s struggle with the intergenerational trauma of hate. While Sarah Cartell fights for a different world from the one she was raised to believe in, she feels unworthy of it. With humour and compassion, WHITE shines a light on the complex and transformative powers of family, friendship, speaking one’s truth.”

—Paula Klein, Psychotherapist

“Brave, moving, and fierce, WHITE shows us the deep rot of a family’s white supremacist beliefs and a fearless daughter’s plan to infiltrate the racist groups she wants to bring down. Taut and compulsively readable, Aviva Rubin’s debut novel is as much a sharp psychological portrait of generational racism as it is an unflinching look at the realities and limitations of hope and change.”

—Laura Zigman, bestselling author of Separation Anxiety and Small World