desperation

The humble village of La Paz was entrenched in a stillness that echoed the calm of the ocean. Kino, a dignified pearl diver, along with his wife Juana and their infant son Coyotito lived a life of meagre simplicity. A harmonious rhythm of the sea and the day-to-day struggle with the natural elements drove their existence, until one day, Kino's dive into the ocean revealed a treasure, the 'Pearl of the World'. Precious and iridescent, the pearl radiated an opportunity for Kino and his family, a key to dreams they had never dared to envision.

It was a bitter winter in Lorain, Ohio, the kind that made your bones feel as fragile as a moth's wings. Claudia and Frieda's home was a sanctuary, at least it was supposed to be. But no amount of plastered newspaper insulation could keep out the biting chill. Lately, another form of cold had seeped in; one that came with Pecola Breedlove's arrival.