Blog Archives
Life in a Tumble Dryer: Living and Working in Khartoum, the World’s Hottest Capital (Not How I Planned It)
Life in a Tumble Dryer is Leoma Gilley’s vivid and deeply personal memoir of her years living and working in Khartoum, Sudan, specifically the sweltering, dust-choked, unpredictable chaos of everyday life in the world’s hottest capital. The book is structured around letters to her cousin Harriet and weaves together tales of linguistic research, cultural missteps, bureaucratic wrangling, unexpected friendships, and survival tactics in a place where the electricity vanishes with the heat and dust storms sneak up like petty thieves.
What really stuck with me from the start was how sharply Leoma captures the absurdity and humor of adapting to a totally different way of life. Her story about arriving in Khartoum with 256 kilograms of luggage, complete with solar panels, books, and fans, only to be delayed by a flat tire on the tarmac at 3 a.m. is a peak travel nightmare. But she tells it with a wink and grit that made me laugh out loud. Even funnier, she ends up in the wrong airport queue behind Orthodox Jews boarding an El Al flight, while she’s bound for Sudan, one of those “what even is my life” moments you just can’t make up.
But the memoir isn’t all quirky misadventures. What’s most powerful is the subtle unraveling of her own assumptions. Leoma is honest about her initial sense of control and expertise, especially when it comes to linguistics. But then, in a scene that humbled even me as a reader, she recalls how a colleague gently reminded her that it’s not her job to decide for people what their language or culture should look like. “It is their language and thus their decision,” she’s told. That moment comes back again and again, and it’s the soul of the book. She’s not there to fix anything; she’s there to walk alongside. That shift in mindset is deeply moving, especially when so many “aid” narratives fall into the trap of saviorism.
The book is more a series of letters and anecdotes than a tightly plotted memoir, so it’s best to read it slowly, maybe a chapter at a time. Still, that format is part of its charm. The chapter where she writes a parody song called “The Yellar Dust of Khartoum” had me wheezing, especially the line: “Your oily skin is daily dried by that abrasive touch, but one good thing about it, it doesn’t cost that much.” There’s something about surviving in a brutal climate with nothing but a fan, peanut butter on sour crepes, and a sense of humor that made me love this book all the more.
By the end, I felt like I knew Khartoum, its smells, its setbacks, its kindnesses, and I admired Leoma not just for what she did there, but how she let herself be changed by the place. Life in a Tumble Dryer is perfect for readers who love honest travel writing, especially memoirs with heart, humor, and a dose of humility. If you’ve ever tried to make a home somewhere wildly unfamiliar or wondered what it would take, this book is for you.
Pages: 319 | ASIN : B0DSLP2V12
Keepers & Destinies: The Reckoning
Keepers and Destinies: The Reckoning, by Carl F. Brothers, picks up in a post-apocalyptic world where natural disasters and supernatural forces have ripped humanity apart. Following the aftermath of a cataclysm triggered by Lucifer’s forces, Andrea, an empathic warrior with divine power, fights to protect the scattered remnants of humanity while dealing with crushing grief over the loss of James, her closest ally and love. Facing enemies from both Hell and, shockingly, Heaven itself, Andrea and her allies battle physical, emotional, and existential threats in a story that is as much about survival and loyalty as it is about revenge and destiny.
From the start of the book, I was sucked right into the raw heartbreak and tension that colored the opening scenes. Andrea hiding in the woods, Nicholas waiting hopelessly for a brother who would never return, absolutely broke my heart. Brothers’ writing doesn’t shy away from tough emotions; he lets you sit with the grief. The little details, like Andrea wearing James’s dog tags and Nicholas clasping her blood-smeared hands, felt so vivid, like I could smell the rain and hear the distant crackling of that broken radio. It’s rare to find apocalyptic fiction that balances action with such emotional weight without feeling corny, but Brothers nails it here.
As the book powers ahead, the action ramps up in a huge way, and honestly, it’s thrilling. Chapter 2 gave me major chills with Samyaza and Q’sabel hunting humans like predators on the prowl. The horror of it, the way the humans are sorted into “worthy” and “not” categories, was seriously disturbing. And yet, I couldn’t look away. Brothers has this way of describing violence that’s brutal without being gratuitous. He leaves just enough space for your imagination to fill in the worst parts. The monsters, the twisted demons like Samyaza, and the reality of werebeasts felt so real I sometimes had to glance over my shoulder while reading. It’s not just cheap scares either; there’s a heavy feeling of moral collapse that hits deeper than just blood and guts.
What really stayed with me, though, were the quiet moments that showed how much Andrea had changed. When she almost loses control while facing the DeMinistry, I felt this weird mix of awe and sadness. She’s powerful, yeah, but she’s also deeply broken. When Lucifer’s disembodied voice talks about using her pain for his purposes, it hit me like a punch. Brothers doesn’t just give us a badass heroine; he shows us the wreckage inside her. The scene where Andrea uses Michael’s sword to mercy-kill the demon Belphegor was haunting and powerful. Mercy through destruction. It’s not just “good vs evil” in this world; it’s messy, it’s complicated, and it makes you think about how trauma reshapes a person.
Keepers and Destinies: The Reckoning is a wild, emotional ride that’s both exhilarating and gut-wrenching. Carl F. Brothers gives readers an action-packed story filled with deep characters, twisted villains, and moments that punch you right in the soul. I’d absolutely recommend this book to readers who love supernatural thrillers, gritty apocalyptic tales, or character-driven fantasy where the battles outside mirror the battles inside.
Pages: 306 | ASIN : B0BBYVD1JD
Your Come-Back Plan
Unlikely Gifts Unwrapped is your honest and darkly funny memoir about rebuilding your identity and sanity, after surviving Stage IIIc breast cancer. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Four months after finishing treatment, my husband, Rene, and I visited his family for the first time in over two years. We bear-hugged his sister and her family when they picked us up curbside at the airport, then as we drove away, a beloved family member innocently but flippantly said, “Well at least now you can put cancer behind you.”
I was initially stunned but quickly became enraged as imaginary daggers poked at my skin.
No one understands that cancer doesn’t end just because treatment is over, I thought. It came close to killing me, and the shock of the experience is still on my mind all the time. I’m so tired of people assuming I can easily unplug from cancer because I survived treatment and am still alive. I fumed internally and remained quiet for the rest of the trip.
During a conversation back home with Rene over breakfast a few weeks later, I was reminded of that innocent, hurtful exchange in the car. My blood pressure spiked as I told him how the words made me feel, then excused myself and ran downstairs to my office computer to vent.
I typed CANCER IS NEVER INVITED AND CANCER NEVER LEAVES. The words sounded crabby yet true, and I felt relief.
In that moment I realized the most effective way to process and ultimately heal—emotionally and physically—from cancer was to write my way back out of the depths of its obsessive grips.
What advice would you give to someone newly facing the “after” of trauma?
Approach your come-back plan the same way you would map out a strategy to recover from a physical ailment such as a head cold or a broken wrist or knee surgery. Embrace the often-overlooked reality that your brain is part of your body, and it similarly benefits from opportunities to rest, recuperate, and reset. Since recuperating and resetting from a traumatic experience might be more achievable if you are guided by a counselor or behavioral health professional specifically trained to help those impacted by cancer, consider that approach as well.
One of the strategies I applied to address my post-cancer trauma was to chart a new course. I turned 50 during treatment, so I viewed life after cancer as a symbolic opportunity to launch the second half of my life with a new attitude, a fresh head of hair, and a determination to gauge success by level of impact, not by financial gains.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One of my staunchest principles is to only offer advice or input if asked. Many friends and colleagues thought they were being helpful during treatment by telling me what I should do to survive cancer. I understood and appreciated their intentions, but most times they made me feel like a weak, pathetic failure because my emotions were amplified and I was drowning with anxiety. My goal with Unlikely Gifts Unwrapped was to encourage anyone who communicates with a cancer patient/survivor or caregiver to exude empathy and compassion by being an attentive listener, not a well-intentioned but babbling talker who may or may not have any idea what cancer feels like.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer or cure when it comes to cancer, although our healthcare system often seems like it was designed to function that way.
What do you wish more caregivers or medical professionals understood about post- treatment survivors?
Most caregivers and medical professionals understand that we survivors are human beings, not medical commodities. However, our healthcare system barely acknowledges, and most of the time does not have the bandwidth or financial capability to address post-treatment trauma. Unfortunately, fear of recurrence, anxiety, distress, and depression often begins, continues, or escalates after active cancer treatment is completed.
Science-backed research continues to affirm that survivors are likely to have more positive long-term outcomes if the resulting psychological trauma from their cancer experiences—which in some cases continues for the rest of their lives—is acknowledged and addressed.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
How is one supposed to feel besides exhausted? Grateful? Rational?
What does routine even mean anymore?
“Unlikely Gifts Unwrapped” is the long-anticipated sequel to “The Unlikely Gift of Breast Cancer,” named one of the best breast cancer books of all time by BookAuthority.
Award-winning author Diane M. Simard presents an unapologetic dive into the aftereffects of her experience with Stage IIIc breast cancer, including the struggles she encountered as she attempted to rebuild her identity. Moments of triumph, tragedy, transformation, and humor are recounted with inspirational hope and raw, no-holds-barred interpretation. Through her defining memoir writing style, Diane covers everything post-cancer, ranging from why she now despises ginger to her first cavity in third grade to lymphedema to Nebraska football. There’s even a story about cockroaches.
Toward the end of her five months of chemotherapy, Diane became so frustrated with the lack of focus paid to the psychological and emotional impacts of her cancer experience that she founded a psychosocial oncology specialty at the University of Denver to train future licensed clinical psychologists how to work with those impacted by cancer. She continues to advocate for educational opportunities and resources to assist in addressing the trauma that often accompanies such a distressing diagnosis. Since the intersection of mental health and cancer is a focal point in her narrative, several mental health therapists provide their perspectives on why the effects of cancer-related trauma—including anxiety, stress, and depression—are so challenging.
The account of Diane’s quest to find herself again and re-define her life after cancer is filled with intense grace, resilience, wisdom, and a powerful zeal to embrace a purpose-driven existence. Her authentic voice is witty and relatable, reminiscent of a chat with a cherished friend.
The Importance of Family
Muunokhoi’s Awakening follows a marmot who wakes from hibernation early and is unable to return to sleep, finding himself alone and needing to find a way to survive the winter. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I wish I could identify an inspiration for the story, but the truth is I stumbled upon the idea. The initial plot I had in my mind when I began to write the novel, was a children’s story about a marmot who is transported in its dreams to different countries during hibernation. At each place, it gets to experience the people, culture, and an adventure or two. However, I quickly realised when I began writing, that the idea would not be credible. The interactions in various places will have to be with humans in towns or cities to experience the culture, and the idea of this animal living like a human would be a stretch. So, I shelved this idea, but I still wanted to write an anthropomorphic tale. I went back to it after about a week pondering what to do next when the idea popped into my head; what if instead of dreaming, it is the only one awake in the burrow? Several ideas and questions quickly flowed from this which ultimately led to the story. I settled on a Mongolian marmot because this species hibernates for 7-8 months which allowed one sufficient time to develop the story without rushing it; I also found the animals of Mongolia quite fascinating.
What were some ideas that were important for you to personify in your characters?
Muunokhoi’s journey was going to be long enough for him to meet a variety of creatures he did not know. It was important therefore that the creatures he meets should include those with good character traits as well those with bad undesirable character traits to reflect what we as humans see around us. Thus, we meet creatures who are greedy, selfish, arrogant, cunning, and untrustworthy as well as creatures who are courageous, empathetic, goodhearted, caring, selfless, well-meaning, and trustworthy.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Some themes I wanted to explore were the importance of family, loyalty, betrayal, friendship, bravery, perseverance, several aspects of loneliness, and hope.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
The next book I am working on is completely different from this first one. It is primarily about the lives of students, at a university in Ghana (my country of birth) in the early 1970’s, a period of political instability and economic hardship in the country. The idea is to weave in the fiction with political events occurring in the country. My inspiration for this is Paul Scott’s quartet of books The Raj Quartet which I read decades ago. My ambitions are more modest as I plan to write only one book.
With respect to when it will be out, my hope is sometime in 2027. I do not write daily or have a schedule for writing. I also write the initial and second drafts by hand with a pencil, so it takes time, but I am more than halfway through the first draft, so fingers crossed.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Muunokhoi emerges from his burrow into a hostile winter environment, to explore the availability of food. He first encounters an eagle owl, who advises him that with no food available in the winter months, his only option for survival is to embark on a quest to lower elevations where he can find food to sustain him until the spring.
The journey will be fraught with danger from predators that stalk the mountainous Mongolian terrain, but the marmot will surely starve to death if he stays put. Summoning all his courage, Muunokhoi sets out on an adventure that could ultimately save his life . . . or end it.
Fight the Battle with Faith
Welcome to My World offers a deeply personal exploration of the often-misunderstood condition of Dementia, drawing from your own journey to illuminate the path for others and offer practical insight and emotional support. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I have seen how families and even society treat Dementia as a disease and this prompted me to write this book, to think otherwise.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Important is family acceptance and treating the family member’s illness as normal, as by so doing the condition may be stable.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest part was that my father-in-law passed on not due to dementia, but multiple heart attacks, which I feel can be prevented. We were told to accept that breathlessness is due to the ageing process, which is WRONG. If only I didn’t believe.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Welcome to My World?
You are not alone. Some may experience family members having advanced stages. We need ask ourselves if we want to give up hope or to fight the battle with faith.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Welcome to my WORLD – is DEMENTIA the END OF THE WORLD for the patient and family members?
Family members must accept and journey along with their loved ones and try to understand their “NEW WORLD”
Community should not categorize and brand people with DEMENTIA but attempt to understand their WORLD.
LOVE and COMPASSION is the “KEY” for us to understand and embrace this NEW WORLD,
ARE WE READY?
