Service Alert

Website unavailable Monday May 26 9-10pm ET

We will be doing some planned maintenance on the CELA  website on Monday May 26 from 9-10 pm ET. Users may notice the website unavailable at that time. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

Public library services for Canadians with print disabilities
  • Mobile accessibility tips
    • Change contrast
      • AYellow on black selected
      • ABlack on yellow selected
      • AWhite on black selected
      • ABlack on white selected
      • ADefault colours selected
    • Change text size
      • Text size Small selected
      • Text size Medium selected
      • Text size Large selected
      • Text size Maximum selected
    • Change font
      • Arial selected
      • Verdana selected
      • Comic Sans MS selected
    • Change text spacing
      • Narrow selected
      • Medium selected
      • Wide selected
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Français
  • Home
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Recommended
  • For libraries
  • Help
  • Skip to content
      • Change contrast
        • AYellow on black selected
        • ABlack on yellow selected
        • AWhite on black selected
        • ABlack on white selected
        • ADefault colours selected
      • Change text size
        • Text size Small selected
        • Text size Medium selected
        • Text size Large selected
        • Text size Maximum selected
      • Change font
        • Arial selected
        • Verdana selected
        • Comic Sans MS selected
      • Change text spacing
        • Narrow selected
        • Medium selected
        • Wide selected
  • Accessibility tips
CELAPublic library services for Canadians with print disabilities

Centre for Equitable Library Access
Public library service for Canadians with print disabilities

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Français
  • Home
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Recommended
  • For libraries
  • Help
  • Advanced search
  • Browse by category
  • Search tips
Breadcrumb
  1. Home

Astra: A Novel

By Cedar Bowers

General fiction

Synthetic audio, Human-transcribed braille

Summary

What if you could see yourself as others see you? Astra is a beguiling debut novel that reveals the different faces of one woman, as seen through the eyes of ten people over a lifetime.Born and raised on a remote… British Columbia commune, Astra Brine has long struggled to find her way in the world, her life becoming a study of the thin line between dependence and love, need and desire. Over the years, as her path intersects with others—sometimes briefly, but always intensely—she will encounter people who, by turns, want to rescue, control, become, and escape her, revealing difficult yet shining truths about who they are and what they yearn for. There is the childhood playmate who comes to fear Astra’s unpredictable ways. The stranger who rescues her from homelessness, and then has to wrestle with his own demons. The mother who hires Astra as a live-in nanny even as her own marriage goes off the rails.The man who takes a leap of faith and marries her. Even as Astra herself remains the elusive yet compelling axis around which these narratives turn, her story reminds us of the profound impact that a woman can have on those around her, and the power struggles at play in all our relationships, no matter how intimate. A beautifully constructed and revelatory novel, Astra explores what we’re willing to give and receive from others, and how well we ever really know the people we love the most.

Title Details

ISBN 9780771012891
Publisher McClelland & Stewart
Copyright Date 2021
Book number 4329450

Audio details for CELA title

Narrator Kendra

Braille details for CELA title

Volumes 6
Braille code UEB
Braille producer CELA
Report a problem with this book

Astra: A Novel

FAQ

Which devices can I use to read books and magazines from CELA?

Answer: CELA books and magazines work with many popular accessible reading devices and apps. Find out more on ourCompatible devices and formats page.

Go to Frequently Asked Questions page

About us

The Centre for Equitable Library Access, CELA, is an accessible library service, providing books and other materials to Canadians with print disabilities.

  • Learn more about CELA
  • Privacy
  • Terms of acceptable use
  • Member libraries

Follow us

Keep up with news from CELA!

  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Blog
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

Suggestion Box

CELA welcomes all feedback and suggestions:

  • Join our Educator Advisory Group
  • Apply for our User Advisory Group
  • Suggest a title for the collection
  • Report a problem with a book

Contact Us

Email us at help@celalibrary.ca or call us at 1-855-655-2273 for support.

Go to contact page for full details

Copyright 2025 CELA. All rights reserved.