Five unlikely friendships. Three continents. One blueprint for the future.

The beautifully mysterious city reveals its dark side: Kano is taken hostage by an elderly scholar desperate to safeguard ancient manuscripts from the Arab Spring's cancerous fallout. Souleymane, a curious outsider appointed to guard duty, teaches Kano how to overcome life in the desert by strengthening his character. Clashing cultures transform into friendships that lead toward a more sustainable way of life and the elusive freedom they all seek.

Large sections of this novel are based on Pieter Cook's service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali from 2008 to 2010. He was one of the last Americans allowed to travel to Timbuktu before the kidnappings and violence began. Additional inspiration sprung out of his time studying Engineering and Education at the University of Michigan along with more recent years spent exploring Europe.

"I hate to say it: but I was surprised by this novel. For a first novel-for any novel- it is truly exceptional, a thing of complex beauty. By telling the story of two cultures, of two individuals, Cook arrives at something universal-and he tells a hell of a good story doing it. The amount of insight here is simply stunning. A remarkable early masterpiece from a writer with a lifetime of promise."

-Drew Philp