I Am Heaven

Jem was born on the island of Cyprus. This is a mystical island nestled amongst the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, but an island bloodied by a civil war between two nations: Turkish Muslims and Greek Orthodox-Christians. In 1974 he is a five-year-old boy. A civil war tears the island into two. Jem and his family settle on the north side of the island, in a new home, in a new city. There are signs of war everywhere. As he observes and attempts to understand the new landscape of his life, another war ravages inside his mind and soul. The firstborn of Muslim parents, he knows early on that he is different: he is a boy who likes other boys.

He is afraid, scared, and full of questions. He wonders if there are others like him in the world, but suspects that he is alone. He believes that this is a secret he will take to his grave. In an attempt to escape, he sets his sights on a scholarship to America. America is where he will bury his secret and start a new life, but once there, everything starts to change.

Alone in a new world, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, acceptance, and faith. In these pages Jem highlights his journey with the many lessons he has unearthed along the way, and his unique prose is sure to grab and sweep the reader along.

Join him in this poetic story of coming out, coming undone, and coming back home.