What does it take to be hopeful when life is falling apart? Humility? Resilience? Courage or all three? In these stories, set across the African continent, characters cling to hope as their lives take a turn.
In No Price for My Cattle, a migrant family leaves behind their own, shattering a little boy who hopes his family will stay together. In The Lost Doll, a mother-in-law lowers her pride in hopes of seeing her grandchildren. A pre-teen girl will understand why her parents cannot be together in Losing Her Place, as she hopes for their reunion. A young boy hopes his superpowers will save his father in Until I Come Home. In A Lifetime Warranty of Miracles, A desperate boy goes to extreme lengths in hopes of seeking healing for his crippled mother. And in Curators of the Dead, A young lady’s uncanny encounter during a return trip evokes memories of a personal and painful experience.
The voices in this collection cling to hope even as life serves up misfortune. Perhaps it is that persistent grip on hope, even when everything feels futile, that offers a fragile sense of peace.