Murran
With his father dead and his mother a drug addict, Trey and his sister, Nichelle, are forced to go live with their grandmother in Brooklyn.
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Surrounded by inner-city crime and conflicting ideologies, Trey seeks security and recognition by becoming a member of a small street crew. When he's framed for a crime and facing prison, Trey flees to a Maasai village in Kenya with his English teacher and mentor, Mr. Jackson.
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Though initially repulsed by the Maasai customs, Trey slowly comes to value their traditions and morals. As he goes through the Maasai warriors' rite of passage becoming one of their own, he learns what Black African culture is truly about. Only after confronting lions, disapproving Maasai elders, and his own fears does Trey begin to understand that men are made and not born.
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Honest and unafraid, Murran is a tale of a young African-American teen coming of age amidst the pitfalls and threats of a 1980s Brooklyn. What he learns along the way could possibly lead his community toward a cultural revival.
Alan Black
Murran by Frank Fiore is a startlingly accurate portrayal of the slim options offered urban African-American youths in the 1980s and even today. It is often politically incorrect and in-your-face real, yet it is so compelling and well written than a reader will continue to eat and digest page after page of this indictment of America's failure to nurture our own young.
Trey, 15, has lost his stable home because of drugs and crime. Forced to live with his grandmother in an even worse part of town, he is pressured into a gang and the gang lifestyle. Losing both parents, his only thought is to protect his younger sister. Without real guidance, his decision change his life from horrible to horrific to deadly. Can he protect his sister? Can he even protect his own life?
I recommend this book for anyone willing to wade into the lives of at risk youths and what it might take to save them.
Goodreads Reviewer
In Murran, Fiore presents a powerful and evocative coming-of-age story that deftly intertwines the life of Trey as he faces the trials of inner-city Brooklyn, along with his exploration of the rich cultural heritage of the Maasai people of Kenya. This novel was so compelling and it was easy to get sucked into the emotional journey of Trey, a troubled teenager grappling with the harsh realities of his environment and the quest for personal redemption.
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A notable aspect of Murran is its exploration of cultural identity and heritage. Trey’s journey is not just about personal redemption but also about reconnecting with a broader sense of identity that. It was amazing to read how about how understanding and embracing one's cultural roots can be a path to personal and communal healing.
Murran is more than just a tale of escape and transformation; it is a profound exploration of the human spirit's capacity for growth and change. This novel’s exploration of identity and self-worth is amazing and I think many people would enjoy this book.
Thomas D. Lee
A decided departure from Cyberkill and the Nash Chronicles, Murran shows a maturity in pacing. While Cyberkill and Nash (by their nature) create an action-adventure feel by quickly moving from scene to scene, my fear in starting Murran was that a more dramatic story requires a different pace to set the mood. And, this manuscript met the task – pulling the reader along but never making the storyline feel rushed.
MURRAN provides a fresh perspective an author can bring to a subject – stereotypes get broken, familiar plotlines get twisted, and the reader experiences another view of what might be a tired subject. Murran is a book significantly removed from the author’s background. As such, his vision of both life in NYC and life in Africa is wonderfully fresh and alive – a juxtaposition that keeps makes for a very interesting tale.
Overall, I really liked the story. It was a tragic and yet triumphant slice of American life that is often overlooked – and too often stereotyped. I think Murran will resonate well with readers who are looking for a good story well told. Kudos, Frank.