I AM NOT A GHOST tells the story of a Chinese railway worker who comes to Canada to work on the Great Canadian Pacific Railway. He, like all the others, came in search of a better life but would have died if not for the benevolence of Amelia Douglas, wife of the former governor of British Columbia. A fictional but historically accurate story with an important message, I AM NOT A GHOST describes the racism and hardship that these newcomers to Canada faced and should be required reading for anyone who wants to learn about this troubling period in Canada’s history.

While this book is a work of fiction, it is based on a read event in history: the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).