Yasuko Thanh (Jennilee Marigomen)

Five titles have been shortlisted for this year’s Amazon.ca First Novel Award.

The finalists were selected by author Tanis MacDonald, who will decide the $40,000 winner along with jurors Casey Plett and Gurjinder Basran. The winning title will be announced May 25.

• White Elephant, Catherine Cooper (Freehand Books)
• Accordéon, Kaie Kellough (ARP Books)
• So Much Love, Rebecca Rosenblum (McClelland & Stewart)
• Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains, Yasuko Thanh (Hamish Hamilton Canada)
• The Break, Katherena Vermette (House of Anansi)