When I began writing The True North Talks, I thought I was telling a political story — one rooted in history, language, and the familiar tensions between Quebec and the rest of Canada.
It was only after I finished that I realized the book had become something else.
Rather than arguing for an outcome, the story explores what a real negotiation after a referendum might actually look like — messy, human, and full of competing interests. Not slogans or certainties, but trade-offs, unintended consequences, and difficult choices that would affect people on all sides.
I didn’t set out to persuade, and I certainly didn’t want to prescribe solutions. Instead, I tried to let the characters — and the realities they face — do the work. Whether that reflection influences elected officials in Quebec City, or simply sparks private conversations among readers, is not for me to decide.
What I did discover was how engaging it is to step back and let the people decide — not only Quebecers, but Canadians everywhere. Because whatever our differences, we all have a stake in the long-term unity and economic strength of the country.
That, more than anything, was the unexpected reward of writing this story.