“This book is a page turner, indeed. I was completely taken in by the beauty, the clarity, the intimacy and the honesty of the story and the individuals McIlroy brought to life so vividly. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to share in this experience, page after beautiful page.” — Karen Casey, author of Each Day a New Beginning and The Promise of a New Day

Faced with an empty nest, a single mother and linguist from California embraces the opportunity to return to East Africa where she had once worked as a young woman.

Living with four priests in Bukoba, Tanzania on the western shores of Lake Victoria, the author teaches at a small college and works closely alongside her research partner, a Kenyan linguist and poet. Throughout her year in Tanzania, she establishes new friendships and also travels throughout the country, visiting places like Kilwa, the Serengeti Desert and Zanzibar.

In this true story, Lee Anne McIlroy celebrates the rich cultural, historical, natural, and linguistic landscapes of Tanzania while reflecting on her own life, exploring what it means to be a mother, a woman, and most importantly, a human being in the modern world.