By Thomas King

HarperCollins Canada

October 15, 2021

Fiction

Paperback

ThemesActivismEmotions and Social AwarenessIndigenous

Age / Grade 8-12 / Grades 3-6

A stunning graphic-novel adaptation based on the work of one of Canada’s most revered and bestselling authors

On a trip to visit his older sister, who has moved away from the family home on the reserve to Salt Lake City, a young boy and his mother are posed a simple question with a not-so-simple answer. Are you Canadian, the border guards ask, or American?

 “Blackfoot.”

And when border guards will not accept their citizenship, mother and son wind up trapped in an all-too-real limbo between nations that do not recognize who they are.

A powerful graphic-novel adaptation of one of Thomas King’s most celebrated short stories, Borders explores themes of identity and belonging, and is a poignant depiction of the significance of a nation’s physical borders from an Indigenous perspective. This timeless story is brought to vibrant, piercing life by the singular vision of artist Natasha Donovan.


Thomas shares his recollection of what inspired him to write Borders. Written in 1993, the short story about a road trip has now been adapted into a graphic novel illustrated by Natasha Donovan.

Educators Guide including Borders