When Pa Lang, 62, leaves Limbe, Cameroon, to attend his son-in-law's graduation ceremony in America, he assures his children and his wife, Mama Ewei, that he would be back in just two months. Little does he know, as he hugs them goodbye, that it is the last time he would see them alive. Five weeks after his departure, all eight of them perish in a landslide triggered by floods.
Told through the eyes of his devoted son-in-law, Asome Bide,
As Waters Gone By
relates the story of Pa Lang's tragic loss and his struggle to rebuild his life. What is it like to have escaped such a fate while nearly everyone you love is killed? Asome's memoir shows us, in mournful detail, how Pa Lang's survival guilt plagues him all his remaining years. It is a guilt that is multiplied by the deeply-rooted superstitions of Cameroonian society. What is it like to have suffered a loss of monumental proportions and be accused of Nyongo - witchcraft?
reminds us of the fragility and resilience of human life in the face of disaster. This moving story is not only hopeful and uplifting, but also a testament to the potential of faith - that faith can provide the strength to continue and the power to heal. Years after Pa Lang himself passes away, Asome and his wife, Anna, continue to pick up the pieces,
and strive to remind other victims of loss that their days of sorrow too will pass.