Forever entwined with Hurricane Katrina in the wake of a slow recovery, locals have returned to consider their dark fate. A powerful State Senator is running for a third term, though immersed in criminal elements beyond the borders of Louisiana. While a new black president, challenging the motives and interests of government's framework, is calling for social cohesion.
Wynton Ellery is a security officer working customs in the port of New Orleans. Others presume they live in a world that makes sense. Wynton knows too vividly, that the rug gets pulled out from under long-held assumptions, and the narrative of a life can lose meaning. What starts out as a sunny, October day, ends with a saturation of vile smells endemic to the back seat of a police car, when he and his brother, Raymond, are innocently embroiled in a shocking murder case. The New Orleans detectives are at odds with mounting evidence and a slate of suspects, when authorization is given to pin a homicide on an innocent man. An only witness comes forward, but who can safeguard the witness and at what cost?
This inspiring novel peers into the culturally unique southern city, four years after America's worst national disaster. It offers a glimpse into the human conditions of class and race, as two diametrically opposed families struggle to come together. Ultimately, The Ray of Hope is a story of healing, as readers discover despite personal setback and heartbreak, despite community loss and division, hope shines through.
About the Author: Janet Johnson Anderson is an award-winning author and poet, public speaker, and marketing consultant. She is an advocate for the special needs population, and for women and girls worldwide where there is poverty and injustice. Because of her passion for the underserved, her books reflect community and global needs. They provide a voice for the voiceless, hoping to inspire others to lend a hand and heart in the world.
Ms. Anderson visited New Orleans each year for seven years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. She was deeply moved by the destruction, and the emotional toll of people facing great personal loss. Her words are an effort to lay bare the needs and struggles of many forgotten by the headlines.
The floodwaters are long gone, but Ms. Anderson's novel reveals signs of its lasting effects, as she compares the hopeful repair from storm damage, to the renewal we seek in our relationships, and within the whole of humanity.
Born and raised along Chicago's North Shore, Ms. Anderson lives in Huntsville, Alabama.
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