Just as Margaret Atwoods’s Handmaid’s Tale prophesied a repressive dystopian future, Kim Dempster’s The Color of Mourning takes us on an intensely emotional journey into the very real world of today where women are confronted by fanatic religious fundamentalists in an existential fight for freedom.

Set in the war torn city of Raqqa during the Syrian civil war, Mourning is a story about love, loss, and the extraordinary strength women have when they are desperately fighting for their autonomy. Nooda, an intrepid journalist who is chronicling the harsh realities of the war, and her daughter Layal, a young woman who dreams of a better future, are repeatedly forced into excruciating situations as their family is torn apart.

Filled with raw emotion and vivid detail, Dempster’s Mourning is an unforgettable novel that pays tribute to the resilience of women and their enduring fight for justice.

About the author: Kim Dempster spent more than three decades producing and directing award-winning films before turning her creative lens to writing. In 2016, she began screenwriting, her first three scripts all became finalists for the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowship. During the COVID lockdown, her deeply personal essays on spirituality and resilience attracted a wide readership. The Color of Mourning—her powerful debut novel—draws on her storytelling mastery to explore courage, loss, and the unbreakable human spirit.

Held in the Baldwin Room.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/author-talk-and-signing-the-color-of-mourning-by-kim-dempster-tickets-1633020922539