First published 2004
Berry's world collapses when her estranged father arrives with devastating news. Her sister Laura has been killed in South Africa. Grief and rage overwhelm Berry. She places stones on her chest each night to keep herself grounded. Her father announces they will travel to South Africa for Laura's memorial service. Berry feels abandoned and furious. She must make this agonizing trip with a man she barely knows and doesn't trust. The journey takes her to the country where Laura died. South Africa itself struggles with its own painful past and the difficult work of healing. Berry faces her deepest wounds in this unfamiliar place. She must decide whether to remain trapped by her anger or find a way toward something resembling peace.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, grief, african-literature, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: South Africa
Paperback · Pan Childrens