A few of the women sat on wicker benches and peeled yams. Others stirred rice with long wooden spoons. Some of them dropped chunks of red meat and leafy greens into colossal iron pots. Under the Palaver Hut, women wearing colorful lappas with matching head wraps cooked and quarreled.
They say the villagers worked five straight days without stopping to eat or sleep to build that hut. This hut had no walls, and the roof was made from palm branches held up by thick bamboo sticks stationed in the ground. The dirt path continued on and finally stopped at a round plot of dusty red land where years earlier, the villagers had cleared the trees and bushes to construct the largest hut known to mankind: the Palaver Hut. And there the sounds of baboons swinging from trees, wild pigs chasing young impalas, and geckos scurrying across the grass melded with the muffled voices of children playing. Twisting and curving, the path eventually led to the heart of the forest.
Nestled in the hedge was a rotten door bruised with moss.īeyond the door stood a dim grove where marula trees, their trunks smothered by climbing plants, crisscrossed over a narrow dirt path carved into the red earth. The village was at the edge of a swamp where sweet thorn trees flourished and formed a hedge no one could pierce. This village, which was called Sesa, was burrowed deep in a tropical forest. Long before you were born, or perhaps it was long after you had departed, there was a village. Poignant and memorable, Ezomo’s story will appeal to fantasy lovers and readers of Grace Lin and Kelly Barnhill. Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev’s debut novel balances a gripping adventure with themes of friendship, community, identity, grief, and resilience. And that cautionary tales exist for a reason. But in the process, he discovers the truth about his village. With his friends by his side, Ezomo chases after the leopard, certain that it has the power to cure all. But when Ezomo encounters the leopard believed to have killed his father, he and his two best friends embark on a journey that leads them past the boundaries set by their elders. There are three important laws in Ezomo’s village: Do not go to The Valley, do not go out at night, and never, ever, ever open the magical door that protects them all. The power of storytelling comes to life in this novel perfect for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Tracey Baptiste, and Tae Keller. Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev’s debut is an unforgettable coming-of-age story about friendship, family, and long-standing traditions. No one knows what lies beyond the magical village door, but Ezomo is determined to find out. “ A beautifully rendered coming-of-age story.”- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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