Saga Boy

My Life of Blackness and Becoming

By: Antonio Michael Downing

Narrated by: Antonio Michael Downing

Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

2021 Legislative Assembly of Ontario Speaker's Book Award

2021 Toronto Book Award

The triumph of Saga Boy is the triumph of Blackness everywhere - the irrepressible instinct for survival in a world where Blacks are prey." (Ian Williams, Giller Prize-winning author of Reproduction)

An enthralling, deeply personal account of a young immigrant's search for belonging and Black identity amid the long-lasting effects of cultural dislocation.

Antonio Michael Downing's memoir of creativity and transformation is a startling mash-up of memories and mythology, told in gripping, lyrical prose. Raised by his indomitable grandmother in the lush rainforest of southern Trinidad, Downing, at age 11, is uprooted to Canada when she dies. But to a very unusual part of Canada: he and his older brother are sent to live with his stern, evangelical Aunt Joan, in Wabigoon, a tiny northern Ontario community where they are the only Black children in the town. In this wilderness, he begins his journey as an immigrant minority, using music and performance to dramatically transform himself. At the heart of his odyssey is the longing for a home. He is re-united with his birth parents who he has known only through stories. But this proves disappointing: Al is a womanizing con man and drug addict, and Gloria, twice abandoned by Al, seems to regard her sons as cash machines.

He tries to flee his messy family life by transforming into a series of extravagant musical personalities: "Mic Dainjah", a punk rock rapper, "Molasses", a soul music crooner and finally "John Orpheus", a gold chained, sequin- and leather-clad pop star. Yet, like his father and grandfather, he has become a "Saga Boy", a Trinidadian playboy, addicted to escapism, attention, and sex. When the inevitable crash happens, he finds himself in a cold, stone jail cell. He has become everything he was trying to escape and must finally face himself.

Richly evocative, Saga Boy is a heart-wrenching but uplifting story of a lonely immigrant boy who overcomes adversity and abandonment to reclaim his Black identity and embrace a rich heritage.

©2020 Antonio Michael Downing (P)2020 Penguin Random House Canada

Critic reviews

Shortlisted for the 2021 Speaker's Book Award

One of:

CBC's "Best Canadian Nonfiction of 2021"

Bustle's "The Most Anticipated Books of September 2021"

“[A] deeply moving memoir...[and] lyrical story.... Suffused with poetic prose that jumps off the page, this inspiring account sings.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“Downing’s heart-wrenching memoir chronicles his saga of trying on and casting off many masks, learning the dimensions of the face through which he sees the world and the world sees him.” (BookPage)

“Compelling...Saga Boy is an eloquent memoir about Antonio Michael Downing's experiences as an immigrant in a minority population; it centers his resilience." (Foreword Reviews, starred review)