Fiction

Half Portraits Under Water is a collection of ten loosely interlinked stories that explore love, loss, and the interconnected nature of human experiences.

In Kenya, a politician is murdered in broad daylight and several testimonies narrated to an unseen commissioner tries to get to the truth; a mother desperately tries to protect her freedom-fighting son from a ruthless and vindictive government regime; a young boy in a slum heads to a football pitch with his friend for what would be the last time as his country shifts politically to a new power; in an elite school for gifted young adults, a girl with a despotic father disappears and soon her three friends have to make a deal with the devil in order to hold on to their dreams.

Through these ten stories set against the moving backdrop of sociopolitical changes in different countries, discover the profound connections that shape our lives, intertwining themes of love, grief, and what it means to be deeply, unflinchingly human.

Meet the Hanrahan family, gathering for a momentous weekend as famous artist and notorious egoist Ray Hanrahan prepares for a new exhibition of his art – the first in many decades – and one he is sure will burnish his reputation for good.

His three children will be there: beautiful Leah, always her father’s biggest champion; sensitive Patrick, who has finally decided to strike out on his own; and insecure Jess, the youngest, who has her own momentous decision to make . . .

And what of Lucia, Ray’s steadfast and selfless wife? She is an artist, too, but has always had to put her roles as wife and mother first. What will happen if she decides to change? For Lucia is hiding secrets of her own, and as the weekend unfolds and the exhibition approaches, she must finally make a choice.

The longer the marriage, the harder truth becomes . . .

Being confronted with an unknown and completely unplanned future, Aby spends the present reminiscing on the past, some tragic, provocative, moving and consequential events that have defined her life. She has decided to move from Nigeria to the United States where she was born and as she puts the final touches to her packing, she flashes back to experiences and captures them in unbridled storytelling, weaving a tapestry of diverse events. Treasured objects remind her of how she met and struck some of her lifelong friendships particularly with Dami, her closest friend and partner in crime, their sinister and sometimes hilarious adventures together, Greg her long time lover and Ms. Maria, her landlady and love interest who reveals a shocking cultural truth about Aby.

ALL OF US brings to bear a life journey that is relatable, tugs at your heartstrings, makes you question cultural nuances, confronts sexuality, examines relationships while you identify with each character’s life experience.