About this item
Highlights
- The story of a family separated by an ocean, confronted by the unexplainable, and broken through loss.Having built a successful life in his adopted home of Atlanta, Seth's life is suddenly upended when his brother Sam dies.
- Author(s): Malaika Cheney-Coker
- 300 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Psychological
Description
Book Synopsis
The story of a family separated by an ocean, confronted by the unexplainable, and broken through loss.
Having built a successful life in his adopted home of Atlanta, Seth's life is suddenly upended when his brother Sam dies. But Seth's problems go beyond tragic loss as he tries to fight an enigmatic and foreboding "creature" inside. Unconvinced by a diagnosis of bipolar II disorder and plagued by nightmares that leave him with mysterious scratches on his neck, he finally hits a breaking point He leaves his life behind and returns to his native Sierra Leone to seek comfort in his family and a cure.
But in Sierra Leone there are no easy answers, and Seth is rejected by his emotionally distant mother, Evelyn. For Evelyn, Seth's sudden appearance stirs difficult memories regarding Sam, and she is forced to confront disturbing truths about her relationship with her sons. Tormented by memories she can no longer suppress, she decides to visit Sam's widow and child in Atlanta to search for some kind of resolution. But Atlanta is not Freetown, and instead of answers, she finds strange ways and a suspicious daughter-in-law.
In Sierra Leone, Seth tries to find his own answers, and he gains some relief through an exorcism. Refreshed and hopeful, he decides to excise the frustrations of his childhood by setting up a camp for underprivileged kids. But the creature, and its attendant ills, is never far below the surface. As his affliction becomes increasingly bizarre, those around him question whether he is gifted with revelation, is possessed, or is simply going insane.
Together, Seth must face his creature, and Evelyn must face herself, both in a battle for their own version of peace.
Review Quotes
"Cheney-Coker explores themes of family, grief, sacrifice, and forgiveness while uncovering what it is to find peace in one's own personal swamp."-The Atlanta Voice
"Malaika Cheney-Coker's masterful literary debut, Creature of Air and Still Water, is a poignant tale of grief, family, forgiveness, and the monsters from childhood we struggle to outgrow. Cheney-Coker is an author to watch."-Robert Gwaltney, award-winning author of The Cicada Tree, and 2023 Georgia Author of the Year.
"An amazing compassionate story of sacrifice and forgiveness. Malaika Cheney-Coker is a strong engaging voice we will hear more from in the near future. Creature of Air and Still Water is a pager turner to the end."-Ann Hite, award-winning author of Haints On Black Mountain: A Haunted Short Story Collection
"What is grief? What is madness? Protagonist, Seth Walker, is a man who feels as if he does not belong-even to his family. With help from his psychiatrist Dr. Holland, Seth wades through the physical and metaphorical river to wash away his 'madness.' Richly layered in a unique flavor of the mind, this is a finely crafted novel with an artisan's touch, with a history flowing beneath the lives of those trying to survive. As debuts go, Creature of Air and Still Water ranks up there with some of my favorites: Ellen Foster (Kaye Gibbons) and Monkeys (Susan Minot). Although Seth believes 'We have been dead from the day we were born, ' this novel is alive with dramatic flair. -William Walsh, author of Lakewood
