East

East: A Song for the Old Ones is a powerful alternative historical novel about endurance, rebellion, and the unbreakable human desire for freedom. Inspired in part by the spirit of Maya Angelou's poem "Song for the Old Ones," the story follows Kofi Asare and a group of enslaved Africans whose lives are forever changed by the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. Taken from the forests and villages of West Africa and forced into slavery in the American South, they endure brutality, separation, and the slow erasure of identity. But beneath the suffering, something survives. Memory. Heritage. Hope. As whispers of revolt spread across plantations and ports, a dangerous vision begins to take shape—an uprising not only for freedom, but for return. What begins as resistance grows into a movement fueled by sacrifice, grief, and the dream of going back East. Blending historical inspiration with emotional storytelling, East explores the strength of those who survived impossible circumstances and the legacy they left behind. Through richly layered characters, brutal realities, and moments of profound humanity, the novel honors the generations whose endurance helped shape the future of a people.