FLYING THROUGH WATER

Abdul Salis brings vulnerability and determination to his portrayal of a boy who perseveres in the face of difficult circumstances. Sena lives an ordinary life of school and farm chores in contemporary Ghana. When tragedy threatens to drive his family into poverty, Sena offers himself up as a fisher boy on the very lake that figures heavily in his grandfather Togbe's tales of his childhood. With deft shifts in tone, Salis portrays Sena's dawning realization that what at first appeared to be his golden opportunity is actually a life of abuse and bondage from which he must escape. Salis subtly depicts Sena's memories of Togbe's life lessons as though his grandfather were speaking to him, encouraging him not to give up on finding his way home. N.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2024]