By subscribing, you are joining an email list. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Now Available: Specks of Dust
Umaru Moses is a teenage Ugandan orphan surviving with other kids in the streets of Kampala. After a religiously zealous orphanage takes him in, he seizes an opportunity to leave his troubled past behind by running away during a field trip to Chicago. Instead, what he thought was an escape turns out to be a reckoning with his faith, sacrifices, sexuality, and upbringing. A coming-of-age story at its heart, the book interweaves tales of survival, perseverance, struggle, and hope to create a collage of modern American culture and its influence on those who seek to assimilate into it.
BlueInk Review
Starred (top 8%)​
"This is a gripping, often gut-wrenching tale...but also one of hope and faith. The writing is stellar...The author’s knowledge of Uganda, its poverty, religion and hypocrisy, informs every sentence, as do authentic characters and dialogue...its exploration of those who persevere—and even dare to dream—despite great challenges will surely stay with readers well beyond the last page."
Foreward Clarion Reviews
5 / 5 Stars​
"The prose includes figurative flourishes and evocative images—sometimes for sheer pleasure, sometimes to make unfamiliar situations feel familiar...[T]ense, suspenseful...Specks of Dust is a riveting novel in which a sensitive young man takes an international route into his adulthood."
The Book Commentary
5 / 5 Stars​
"[A] powerful and emotionally rich novel that takes readers on an unforgettable journey...Duncan's writing is raw and unflinching...The author's vivid descriptions and compelling narrative make it impossible for readers not to empathize with Umaru's struggles and root for his survival...Duncan's writing is evocative, filled with vivid imagery and powerful metaphors."