Four lives that dramatically collide. Iman, the orphan. Ciara, the temptress. Romilly, the priest-cum-artist. And Mary Thérése, the benevolent reverend mother with so much protective love to give. WHISPERS IN THE WAKE is a story about dreams, abandonment, trauma, guilt and hope; the hope that one's fate can be pulled from the fire, altered and made to soar. When all is said, when all is done, pain has a habit of killing pretence allowing our real path in life to emerge. 'Ini Ikpe-Etim has produced a remarkable read in the African storytelling tradition. Sometimes harrowing, sometimes hard, often joyous, but always with an acute ear for real people - their voices, foibles, weaknesses and grace. I cried at the end such was the strength of the final scene' Andrew Routledge 'A child saves herself from the worst excesses of victimisation by developing a soulless instinct for self-preservation. Prepare to hold your breath and follow her audacious, daring and at times cruel journey of self-discovery as it sweeps across continents, culture and social divides' Patricia Khan