Can You Hear Me Now?
How I Found My Voice and Learned to Live with Passion and Purpose
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Can You Hear Me Now?
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Narrated by:
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Celina Caesar-Chavannes
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Written by:
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Celina Caesar-Chavannes
About this listen
Shortlisted for the 2021 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
In Can You Hear Me Now?, Celina Caesar-Chavannes digs deep into her childhood and her life as a young Black woman entrepreneur and politician, and shows us that effective and humane leaders grow as much from their mistakes and vulnerabilities as from their strengths.
Celina Caesar-Chavannes, already a breaker of boundaries as a Black woman in business, got into politics because she wanted to make a bigger difference in the world. But when she became the first Black person elected to represent the federal riding of Whitby, Ontario, she hadn't really thought about the fact that Ottawa wasn't designed for someone like her. Celina soon found herself both making waves and breaking down, confronting at night, alone in her Ottawa apartment, all the painful beauty of her childhood and her troubled early adult life. She paid the price for speaking out about micro-aggressions and speaking up for her community and her riding, but she also felt exhilaration and empowerment. As she writes, "This is not your typical leadership book where the person is placed in a situation and miraculously comes up with the right response for the wicked problem. This is the story of me falling in love, at last, with who I am, and finding my voice in the unlikeliest of places."
Both memoir and leadership book, Can You Hear Me Now? is a funny, self-aware, poignant, confessional, and fierce look at how failing badly and screwing things up completely are truly more powerful lessons in how to conduct a life than extraordinary success. They build an utter honesty with yourself and others that allows you to say things nobody else dares to say - the necessary things about navigating the places that weren't built for you and holding firm to your principles. And, if you do that, you will help build a world where inclusion is real. Just as Celina is now trying to do, in all her brilliance and boldness.
©2021 Celina Caesar-Chavannes (P)2021 Penguin Random House CanadaWhat the critics say
2021, Legislative Assembly of Ontario Speaker's Book Award
2021, Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing
“I can hear you, C3. I found myself tearing up in parts and chuckling in others - I heard your passionate voice, felt your determination and smiled at your undeniable wit, all reverberating throughout the pages of this book. Yours is an important journey. Thank you for telling it. You are as inspiring as you are authentic.” (Jody Wilson-Raybould, Canadian MP, and author of From Where I Stand)
“Celina’s memoir is the perfect mix of coming-of-age story, radical authenticity and #BlackGirlMagic. Never has a former Canadian politician stripped down and shown up in such an honest way. If you can’t hear Celina by the time you’ve finished this book you need to get your hearing checked.” (Tracy Moore, host of Cityline)
“Celina tells her story with the kind of whole-hearted and bare-faced honesty you don’t see in the ‘typical’ autobiography. Which makes sense, because for Celina there’s no such thing as ‘typical.’ And that’s what makes her book so refreshing, and delightfully fun and inspiring. Facing her failures (and her critics), Celina takes ownership of her journey - from self-made successful entrepreneur to social justice trailblazer.” (Kirstine Stewart, author of Our Turn, and Head of Shaping the Future of Media at the World Economic Forum)
What listeners say about Can You Hear Me Now?
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tamara
- 2021-08-26
Wonderful Representation for Black people
Loved it. Every black person in Canada should listen to this book. Gread read
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anushay Sheikh
- 2021-03-17
Vulnerable and validating
As a woman of colour who has worked in politics, I can’t recommend this book enough. Celina shares her successes, but more importantly, her failures and struggles in life and in politics. It’s very validating to hear stories from other women of colour and I urge everyone to listen to this, regardless of party affiliation.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- CindyRella
- 2023-01-25
We hear you
Powerful story that we all need to hear. A great listen! Thank you Celina! Wonderful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-08-24
Loved it!
Loved it! Celina is so honest and raw. We need more people sharing their truth like this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Donna K
- 2024-01-15
listen worth the inspiration
Listening to an empowered person talk of the ups and down of life is inspiring. Celebrate a woman who is a wordsmith to put in this book a book worth listening and learning from.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 2021-10-29
Truer words were never spoken.
Celina, pours her life's emotional ride into this book. Can't wait for the movie!!!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Blizzy
- 2021-05-03
It was a story that needed to be shared.
I don't know what I enjoyed more, the story in the book or my own personal journey in growth that has allowed me to relate and connect with the author and her story. This book is testimony that had to be shared.
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- The Hodges and Jackmans
- 2021-07-30
thank you Celina for speaking your truth
an authentic telling of a perspective too often relegated to the sidelines and confirming racism is still alive and well in the Liberal party
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- Denise
- 2023-05-12
Riveting…Wow
I could not put the book down. Even though I wanted to stop at times I had to keep listening. We certainly hear you now!
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-03-14
Inspiring read
There’s nothing more inspiring than witnessing someone living their vulnerable truth. Thank you for sharing and for serving your fellow Canadians. There’s no doubt your openness will help others fuel the strength to dip their toe into the political waters or simply to speak up when they otherwise would not have. I gobbled up this book like it was my favourite dessert.
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