Description
In this heartfelt and humorous coming-of-age novel (a partially fictionalized memoir), set in 1990s rural Canada and war-torn Sierra Leone, 13-year-old William's world unravels when his father, a surgeon, is caught having an affair with one of his patients. Forced to relocate amid the following small-town scandal, the family decides to live for a year in West Africa, hoping the experience will bring them closer together. Initial excitement for adventure fades as William grapples with the strained family dynamics, despising his parents and siblings, and wishing more than ever that his childhood would just be over so he could finally be free. But as the encroaching civil war threatens their lives, unlikely friendships blossom, perspectives shift, and everything changes.
Chapter 1
