If I Tell You the Truth

By: Jasmin Kaur

Narrated by: Jasmin Kaur

Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Rupi Kaur, this heartrending story told in prose and poetry weaves together the stories of a mother and daughter’s lives.

In this stunning sophomore novel, acclaimed writer Jasmin Kaur explores trauma, fear, courage, community, and the healing power of love in its many forms.

Kiran flees her home in Punjab for a fresh start in Canada after a sexual assault leaves her pregnant. But overstaying her visa and living undocumented brings its own perils for both her and her daughter, Sahaara.

Sahaara would do anything to protect her mother. When she learns the truth about Kiran’s past, she feels compelled to seek justice—even if it means challenging a powerful and dangerous man.

if i tell you the truth

that i’ve dug

from the hardened depths

of this shrapnel-filled dirt

with these aching, bloody hands

would you believe me?

would you still love me?

Lyrical and compelling portrait of and mother and daughters journey towards the truth

Lyrical, metaphors of uncanny resonance, like a painting on the page. A sensitive and personal telling of two women’s experience as an undocumented immigrant and her Canadian born daughter. And amazing use of descriptive and poetic language that comes across as the clearest pros. And in addition to the two women’s lives, the realistic and sensitive telling of the lives of those who support them are equally compelling and finally drawn.