We Contain Multitudes

“You undid me. That’s all I’m trying to report in this letter. You undid me, Kurl, in more ways than one.”

Thrown together by a zealous English teacher's classroom-mailbox assignment, notorious scrapper, Adam "Kurl" Kurlansky, and Jonathan Hopkirk, a flamboyant Walt Whitman wannabe, have to write an old-fashioned letter to each other every week.

Kurl is a senior, an ex high school football player, held back a year, while Jo is a nerdy, out tenth grader with a penchant for vintage clothes and a deep love for poetry. They are an unlikely pair, but with each letter, the two begin to develop a friendship that grows into love. As they face homophobia, bullying and familial abuse, Jonathan and Kurl must struggle to overcome their conflicts and hold onto their relationship, and each other.

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Selected as the 2021 Vermont Reads title (Vermont Humanities Council)

Nominated for the Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award

ParnassusNEXT Club pick (Ann Patchett’s Parnassus Books) for May 2019

Booklist's Top 10 Romance Fiction for Youth 2019

BookPage's 10 Best Young Adult Books of 2019

BookRiot’s 25 Awesome 2019 Queer YA Books to Preorder Right Now

CBC’s 29 Canadian Kids Books & YA to Look For in Spring 2019

Quill And Quire’s Honourable Mention for 2019 Books of the Year for Young People

CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2019

CanLit for Little Canadians' Must-read Canadian YA books

“This is an absolutely extraordinary work of fiction that proves the epistolary novel is an art form. Kurl and Jo are characters to die for, emotionally compelling and empathetic. . . . [This novel] is not to be missed.” —starred review, Booklist 

"The dual narrative differs from other storytelling duets in that these points of view aren’t separate; the written perceptions of one character are scrutinized and shared through the lens of the other. A love story, a therapy session, a reason to read Whitman. . . Your reason to root for love—and the power of the pen.” —starred review, Kirkus

“We Contain Multitudes is a novel of brave heart, told with snap and style. As the protagonists write mandatory letters to each other, we come to realize the letters are also both to themselves as writers–to chart their maturing–and to us as their unseen champions.” —Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked

"We Contain Multitudes is a heartbreaker in many ways, but it's ultimately a beautiful story about how love (and poetry) are sometimes enough to carry the day." —starred review, Bookpage

"...an epic, sweeping romance..." —Horn Book

"...as a medium for reporting day-to-day occurrences and conveying intimate feelings and classic themes-love, lust, and betrayal, among others-the letters shine." —Publishers Weekly

"We Contain Multitudes is an emotional journey, both heartbreaking and healing. A true love letter to the way family, friendships, and first loves slowly peel away our carefully-constructed walls to the layers beneath. Henstra’s words are a universe I never want to escape." — Julian Winters, author of Running With Lions

"The title of this book is incredibly fitting. Jonathan and Kurl are two complex and fascinating characters, and they instantly drew me into the world created by their letters and their love. It's an astonishing romance and character study that also happens to be full of gorgeous writing."   —Robin Talley, author of Lies We Tell Ourselves and Pulp

"Henstra's characters initially approach each other with hesitation, and her skill lies in painstakingly depicting each boy's slow move toward vulnerability until a smoldering, secret romance begins. This exploration of self and sexuality is sure to be quickly embraced by fans of Love, Simon, They Both Die in the End and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue." —Siân Gaetano, Shelf Awareness