First published 2009
Liga has suffered terrible abuse from her father. Magic grants her escape to a personal sanctuary where she can heal and start over. In this protected realm, she raises her two daughters far from the violence that scarred her own life. The girls grow up innocent of the cruelty that exists beyond their borders. Liga believes she has found permanent safety for her family. But magical barriers cannot hold forever. Men transformed by magic and wild bears begin breaking through into Liga's refuge. The invasion forces all three women to confront a harsh truth. They must leave their paradise and face a world where beauty exists alongside brutality. Liga must prepare her sheltered daughters for realities she had hoped they would never encounter. The family discovers that even after experiencing heaven, they must find ways to survive on earth.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, fantasy, magical-realism
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Africa
Period: 20th-century
496 pages · Kindle Edition · RHCP Digital
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse, violence