Shelter in a Hostile World by Mack Little relates to the 1600s, focusing on Badu, a man in his late thirties with a long past. His daughter was captured and raped, so he led a revolt to rescue her. He and his wife, Saoirse, must flee. After a ceremony of raising duppies, vengeful spirits bent on revenge, one haunts him. As he moves through his days, the duppy follows him, and Badu is reminded of the wrong he did in a series of flashbacks. Badu finally comes to terms with his physical and spiritual predicaments and receives help from an unexpected source.

With velvety language that conjures up vivid images of the period, Mack Little expertly illustrates the hostility of Badu’s environment. Even though evil forces darken his doorstep, Badu falls into a beautiful love story, one of passion and then another of enduring trust and commitment. Little relates the superstitions, culture, and traditions of the period, paying special attention to the beliefs that shaped the Igbo culture. Readers will be fascinated by the way Badu switches between dialects as needed, and the author's craft of consistency shows a gift for storytelling and research. Little’s United States military service gives an expert edge in the graphic fight descriptions as the story moves along at a heightened pace. Shelter in a Hostile World is an intriguing book, and it’s a great selection for readers interested in learning about other cultures through fiction.

Shelter in a Hostile World by Mack Little is the story of an enslaved man fighting for his family's freedom. The narrative switches timelines between the years 1628 and 1651, following the life of Badu, an enslaved person from Igboland, Africa, captured and brought to the island of Barbados by the Spanish slavers who put him to work in the plantations. Now, with an Irish wife named Saoirse, an indentured servant serving a life sentence, and two children, Badu wants to get off the island. After his daughter's rescue from the Admiral's clutches, Badu sets off on a bloody quest for freedom, leading to carnage and mayhem. In between, he is haunted by his past nemesis Lotanna and his former lover's tragic fate. Will Badu ever find his freedom?

Filled with heartbreak, romance, and action, Shelter in a Hostile World is a captivating tale that showcases the strength of indomitable will and the resilient nature of the human spirit. Mack Little takes readers on a wild journey back to 17th-century Barbados, where human cruelty knows no bounds and misery can be only overcome by a thirst for rage, blood, and vengeance. The author perfectly captures the vocabulary of the enslaved men and women of the historical period, which adds to the atmosphere and brings authenticity to the narrative. Badu suffered horrific losses in his teenage years and found comfort in Saoirse, someone with a tragic past. Their relationship was the primary highlight of the book for me. All in all, a treat for historical fiction readers.