Provenance Unknown
An archivist without a past of her own doesn’t expect her profession to get personal.
Thirty-year old single mom Michele Norman has finally found her dream job at the city archives. But while she does a deep dive into every inquiry that comes in, there’s one past she won’t touch: her own. Besides, with a son starting kindergarten, a stack of unpaid bills, and the possibility of her work hours being cut back, she has enough to worry about. But when she discovers a forgotten French diary in the vault, it sends her on a journey from the west coast of Canada all the way to Paris, France. Will Michele be distracted by the intriguing and maddening Sébastien? Or will she finally find answers to the family questions she has never been ready to ask?
Say “oui” to a story about local history, archives, family secrets, an old French diary, a charming but infuriating Frenchman, and fun and frivolity in Paris! Published by She Rises Studios. (Originally published by Sands Press, 2023).
Ebook and print editions now available!
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♥️ Canada:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ USA:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ United Kingdom:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ Germany:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ France:
https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ Spain:
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♥️ Italy:
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♥️ Netherlands:
https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ Japan:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ Brazil:
https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ Mexico:
https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️ Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0F144Z5XD
♥️India:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0F144Z5XD
Praise for Provenance Unknown
… The author has written a love story wrapped in a love story—that of Michele and Sébastien, as well as her grandparents. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from the diary, telling about her grandparents’ romance. It is an interesting juxtaposition of the present and the World War II era. Some readers may find it difficult to sympathize with Michele early on. She makes decisions like an impulsive teenager. As the story unfolds, however, the author deftly portrays a young woman struggling to get her life on track who undergoes a transformation through learning about those who came before her. She emerges with a more mature outlook. This romance novel should appeal to fans of the genre, as well as anyone who has experienced and understands the excitement of researching their family history.
Review by Glenda Vosburgh
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Playlist for Provenance Unknown (YouTube)
Asleep/Awake
Sonia’s first chapbook, Asleep/Awake, published by Stripes Literary Magazine, is available now. She’s happy to offer this small collection of poems as a gift to her readers. Reviews encouraged and appreciated!
maybe, I am biased but this collection is enjoyable. why? it’s tiny and dances around with rare flair. EARLY READER
Here & Elsewhere: An Anthology of Portuguese Canadian Writers
Published June 17, 2025 by Arquipélago Press.
TWELVE SINGULAR VOICES, EACH RESPONDING TO A QUESTION THAT TRAVELS ACROSS OCEANS AND GENERATIONS: WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME?
Here, within these pages, a father’s immigration story, shared with his bullied daughter, finds its echo in a suite of poems that trace the quiet weight of familial expectations. A two-part tale of a mining disaster, set deep in the mountains of Portugal, sits alongside a soldier’s letter written from a military barracks in Angola. High above the Azores, a widower drifts through a dream of lost love; elsewhere, a young man pleads with an ex for the return of his passport as anger gives way to forgiveness. For some, the journey circles back with a twist: You must go home again. One writer recounts the bureaucratic dance of claiming citizenship in their parents’ homeland; another follows a man’s pilgrimage to his family’s ancestral island to fulfill his sister’s final wish.
Uniting a dozen contemporary Portuguese Canadian writers, Here & Elsewhere is a vibrant record of cultural narratives—rooted in the homeland, yet always evolving, shifting across time and place.
Sonia’s novels explore themes of identity, family, and place. She has written two more, which are currently looking for a publishing home. For inquiries, contact literary agent Rachel McMillan.
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Sonia Nicholson 