Raphael Willis illustrates an unforgettable story of survival, faith, and courage in this collection of poems and short essays surrounding his childhood in a broken family, his adulthood in Liberia’s civil war before escaping to America as a refugee, and his fight against generational curses of infidelity and divorce in his marriage. The words here are unflinching and unapologetic: Willis boldly walks back into his past trauma, combing through not only his life, but also that of his father, upon which he reveals intimate and painful family secrets. In addition, we receive a firsthand account of a seminal moment in Liberian history and the unbelievable trials leading up to his escape and freedom.

The true feature of this book, however, is Willis’s poetry: His God-given gift and means of expression and therapy through even the most difficult of times. Through raw and powerful language, Willis reminds us that redemption is always in our own hands and in the guidance and grace of the Almighty.