books of jeremiah
books of jeremiah
THIS ISN’T A STORY ABOUT SLAVERY. IT’S A STORY ABOUT FREEDOM.
YES, BLOOD IS SUPPOSED TO BE THICKER THAN WATER. But he made my blood spill like water. So I crossed waters to leave blood behind, hoping to leave no trail for him to follow and find me. Still, when I am enjoying the fruits of freedom most, that is when I think I see him—in a crowd or just outside a darkened window—determined to have his slave returned.
AT ONE TIME, I WONDERED HOW HE WOULD HAVE FELT ABOUT CALLING ME HIS SON. The circumstances of my birth were not unusual. But, while many slaves may only hear rumors about their parentage... I know mine for sure. I am Percival Bishop, the bastard of my master, Joachim Bishop.
BUT I COULD NEVER TRULY BE HIS SON. I was born a slave. I was taught to think like a slave; to pray and dream like a slave; to hunger and thirst, to regard the possible and impossible like a slave. I must not forget that. Because now I must break that slave apart. I must make myself anew. Into a man. In my own image. Because this isn’t a story about slavery. It’s a story about triumphant, soul-forging freedom.
FOR AFTER BOTHAM, I HAD THE TREMENDOUS PRIVILEGE OF PENNING THE STORY OF ALLISA CHARLES-FINDLEY, THE BELOVED SISTER OF BOTHAM JEAN,
a man who was gunned down in his own home by a police officer who thought he had broken into hers. We have heard of many heart-wrenching tragedies like Botham’s over the past several years, but what is often lost in those stories is the aftermath: long after the social media outrage and the trial, long after we have moved on to the next consumable moment, the lives of the beloved are often forgotten. While we are often caught up in our own rage of the moment, in the politics of the day, it can be easy to forget that a human life was lost and that many human lives were affected and forever changed. This story is an attempt to shed light on the life of Botham—and Allisa, the sister whose life would never be the same after his death.
"MY FATHER USED TO TELL ME THAT THERE WAS NO HEAVEN OR HELL. JUST EARTH AND MEN.
Earth can be heaven or hell. It all depends on what men are willing to make of it. So hold on to that light. . . . Hold tight to it. Because it’s so much easier to get ahold of darkness if you’re not careful."
Those were the last words Stacey could remember of his late father, and he always strived to live up to them. So what does he do when honoring his father’s words may cost him his life? Read this exciting novella to find out.
ISAAC HAS A GUN TO CONFRONT HIS FATHER.
Sebastian has a paintbrush to confront his demons. Quincy has a dream to pursue his freedom. Miriam has a promise to keep to her enslaved mother. In this collection of poems, prose, and short stories, follow these four souls as they journey away from tumultuous beginnings to discover the pursuit of happiness.