Through their latest novels, authors Didier Leclair and Mariam Pirbhai examine Canada’s often-touted openness and multiculturalism under a closer lens. Leclair’s Toronto, I Love You (translated by Elaine Kennedy) is part love letter, part social critique. After fleeing unrest and misery in Benin, protagonist Raymond Dossougbé is initially enamored with his new home in Toronto, but he soon begins to uncover complex social dynamics in a community unwilling to adapt. In Isolated Incident, Mariam Pirbhai gives voice to Muslim communities confronted by Islamophobia. When a violent incident occurs at a Toronto Mosque, community members have differing perspectives as to how to negotiate belonging in a land that has become increasingly hostile to their faith and identity.