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by Malaika Cheney-Coker (Author)
The story of a family separated by an ocean, confronted by the unexplainable, and broken through loss.
Having built a successful life in his adopted home of Atlanta, Seth's life is suddenly upended when his brother Sam dies. But Seth's problems go beyond tragic loss as he tries to fight an enigmatic and foreboding "creature" inside. Unconvinced by a diagnosis of bipolar II disorder and plagued by nightmares that leave him with mysterious scratches on his neck, he finally hits a breaking point He leaves his life behind and returns to his native Sierra Leone to seek comfort in his family and a cure.
But in Sierra Leone there are no easy answers, and Seth is rejected by his emotionally distant mother, Evelyn. For Evelyn, Seth's sudden appearance stirs difficult memories regarding Sam, and she is forced to confront disturbing truths about her relationship with her sons. Tormented by memories she can no longer suppress, she decides to visit Sam's widow and child in Atlanta to search for some kind of resolution. But Atlanta is not Freetown, and instead of answers, she finds strange ways and a suspicious daughter-in-law.
In Sierra Leone, Seth tries to find his own answers, and he gains some relief through an exorcism. Refreshed and hopeful, he decides to excise the frustrations of his childhood by setting up a camp for underprivileged kids. But the creature, and its attendant ills, is never far below the surface. As his affliction becomes increasingly bizarre, those around him question whether he is gifted with revelation, is possessed, or is simply going insane.
Together, Seth must face his creature, and Evelyn must face herself, both in a battle for their own version of peace.
