Marla Bluestone

Several generations ago, survivors of a complex apocalypse banned what they blamed for their civilization’s end: instantly relayed “facts” via personal computers; religions as instigators of violence; most weaponry. But human nature survived. It shows up in shared belief systems called ethnicities – and in the prejudices and conflicts that result. The emotional bond Erica and Joel create trips on their convictions about their ethnicity’s traditions. Erica feels enriched by them, but she’s among the elite of the Fellowship. Joel protects his dignity, which would be compromised if he were obliged to conform. Their personal story spans twenty years on the backdrop of hatreds and violence, where members of another ethnicity endure a no-man’s-land of border strife. Joel, as a photojournalist, brings that tragedy into the public eye. He makes the world hear their tears, previously hidden from the public.