While Beah’s novel Radiance of Tomorrow appears like the simple story of a village in Sierra Leone called Imperi trying to recover after years of civil war full of violence and death, in reality he’s trying to tell the more complicated and discouraging story of recovering in an era of greed, corruption, and waste. You’ll remember Beah from his ground-breaking memoir A Long Way Gone, which chronicled his years as a child soldier. This is a strong debut novel from a talented writer. The characters and their voices bring the book to life and Beah’s fine storytelling expertly walks the tightrope between hope and despair as the people of Imperi try to get their lives back on track against many obstacles. The author has such a unique voice and is one I plan on continuing to follow for years to come.