Laurentian Alumna Elizabeth Urso Debuts Novel Hail Mary

September 22, 2026— Laurentian University is proud to feature alumna Elizabeth Urso, practicing lawyer and recipient of the 2014 Alumni Student Recognition Award, on the release of her debut gothic suspense novel, Hail Mary (Rising Action, distributed by Simon & Schuster Canada, September 22, 2026).

Drawing deep inspiration from Northern Ontario, Hail Mary follows protagonist Mary Foreman as she returns to her hometown on Lake Huron to assist her uncle’s mayoral campaign and take a teaching job at her alma mater. When human remains are discovered inside an unsealed time capsule, long-buried secrets surrounding her family's infamous funeral business come to light. Urso began conceptualizing the novel while travelling between Toronto, Sudbury, and Blind River during her father’s battle with pancreatic cancer, weaving themes of grief, home, and memory into the thriller.

Reflecting on her foundational years at Laurentian, Urso credits the English and Law and Justice programs with shaping her dual path as an attorney and an author. Guided by faculty mentors like Dr. Susan Glover, Professor Emeritus, who supervised her honours essay on female criminality in eighteenth-century English fiction, and Dr. Rosanna Langer, Urso learned to bridge the gap between literature and law.

"I spent most of my undergraduate studies thinking I had to pick one or the other: writing or law," says Urso. "I’m always in a constant battle between the creative side of myself and the pragmatic side. But you don't have to pick, you just have to be deliberate with your time."

Urso offers reassuring advice to current Laurentian students weighing creative passions against traditional careers, emphasizing that "tenacity trumps talent every day."

Upcoming Public Appearances and Event Dates:

September 22, 2026: Official release of Hail Mary

October 3, 2026 (11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.): Book Signing at Indigo Sudbury

October 16–17, 2026: Featured Attending Author at the Wordstock Literary Festival