A young Caribbean boy must learn to survive by himself after the death
of his grandmother and disappearance of his mother, while trying to stay
one step ahead of corrupt police.
One morning, twelve-year-old Shango wakes up to discover his grandmother
has died in her sleep--his only family on the island. Shango heads into
town to tell the authorities and call his mother in America, but before
he can get there, he is almost run off the road by a passing car.
Swerving to avoid him, the driver loses control and heads into a ravine.
When the police arrive on the scene, they open fire on the driver and
threaten to kill Shango if he says anything.
Shango puts aside his fears and tries to report his grandmother's death
to the police. But no one will listen to him and he makes the fateful
decision to bury his grandmother on the mountain and pretend she is
still alive. His new secret changes his interactions with everyone,
essentially cutting him off from society as he must lie to his teachers
and friends in order to survive.
When Shango wins a prestigious island-wide competition, it becomes
harder to keep the world believing his grandmother is still alive. And
when he inadvertently uncovers the true story behind the police
execution, his life becomes even more complicated--and dangerous.
Political turmoil envelops the island, threatening to bring society
crashing down, and taking Shango with it.
