In the Upper Country is a layered story set in the fictional town of Dunmore, Ontario, a refugee town for Black people fleeing slavery. Here, Lensinda Martin is biding her time, writing for an abolitionist paper, living with her mentor. And then, one night, a group arrives and a slave hunter is shot by an old woman, who recently arrived via the Underground Railroad. 

Lensinda goes to gather the woman’s story, and finds herself bartering her own stories, as well the ones she took with her when she fled slavery herself. And in these stories, a greater one lurks. 

I love a story within a story and there are so many here. Thomas weaves multiple timelines and testimonies, as well as Indigenous connections and community with enslaved people. This is a really incredible story, rich with characters and different journeys.