Thapelo lives with his housekeeper-mama at a luxury safari lodge — until the Dreadful Day she dies. His traumatized self swaps out the event with a less dreadful version.

Thirteen months later, he arrives on another continent with his new(ish) mom, Tina, and sister, Nadia. Thapelo's managed to carve out his place in the Becker family, so feeling like a local in the city should be no problem. He's great at exploring, and Berlin has a gazillion things just waiting to be discovered — and shared with his cousin back in Malawi. The buzzing new city is teeming with people. Too many! The crowds make Thapelo anxious — until he recognizes familiar birds and animals in train passengers and his mind escapes back to the quiet African Bush.

Thapelo bravely faces the hurdles of becoming local: navigating the city, learning a new language, making friends and preparing for a new school. He's not prepared for his old nightmares, though. And they get scarier every time. If he shrinks back and keeps hiding from his trauma, the dreams might never stop. But if he wrestles through them, supported by Tina and a kind therapist, he could face how his mama really died.