From Lands of the Night

The kindness of ancestors and angels restores a helpless infant to health in this gentle story, beautifully illustrated with vibrant colors and vivid depictions of traditional African garments and customs. -- Midwest Book Review

In this powerful and inspiring story, the young girl Ra-Eli watches as her family agonizes over the illness of her baby brother Samson. When they approach a healer, the answer comes: "Hold a ceremony to honor your ancestors and ask them to help, a joyful ceremony filled with guests." "Joyful?" my mother said. "How can we be joyful at a time like this?" "A joyful ceremony it must be," replied the healer. "Nothing less will bring the ancestors from their lands of the night. Let's seek joy in hope."

And there follows one of those magical sequences that are found in the traditional tales of East Africa, where author Tololwa Mollel comes from. First, neighbors and friends come to the event -- then angels and finally Mola -- God. Music and dancing ensue, and when the exhausted Ra-Eli wakes, Mola hands the now recovered baby to his joyful mother.

This story is a true testament to the power of ceremony and music and the honoring of ancestors who come, from the lands of the night.