F.C.K.T.M.P (eBook)

You Know What I Mean

Zora Franklin (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
116 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
9780001032910 (ISBN)

Infos

В тени Капитолия общественный деятель Кэт наблюдает, как соседи исчезают в предрассветных иммиграционных рейдах. Когда Омара, преданного отца и любимого всеми жителя квартала, похищают, Кэт оказывается втянутой в сеть пасторов, адвокатов и друзей, решивших защитить друг друга. По мере того, как давление нарастает, а границы между законным и правильным размываются, ей предстоит решить, насколько далеко она готова зайти, чтобы сдержать обещание: никто не справляется с этим в одиночку.

Рассказываясь с невероятной интимностью, FCKTMP повествует о периоде мужества, тихих актов неповиновения и о том, какова цена высказывания своего мнения в городе, где молчание - самое безопасное. От обсуждения стратегии за кухонным столом до ступенек в здании суда - это история о принадлежности, горе и надежде - о простых людях, которые решают сопротивляться и, делая это, открывают для себя силу общности.

Textauszug

Foreword

Dear Reader,

Let me address you as though we’ve known each other for a long time. Imagine we’re sitting together in a warm, cozy living room, and I’m trying to explain where this book came from and why I can’t let go of the feeling that dark times are approaching. Please understand that everything I write about here doesn’t exist in reality — it’s a fictional world born from my anxieties, yet simultaneously from my deepest beliefs. I hope these words help you understand why I couldn’t remain indifferent, and why I’ve poured so much of my inner strength into this imagined story.

It all began with an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Everywhere I looked, I saw too much anger, distrust, and coldness. The news increasingly echoed my hidden fears with words of injustice and inequality. Inside, I lacked the confidence to take decisive action — to do something bold or impactful. Instead, I sat paralyzed, afraid to move, convinced that any step I took would inevitably fail.

And so, I began to write. It felt like releasing my worries onto paper. Surprisingly, as I began creating stories about people fighting for their truths, I heard a quiet melody of hope within me — a belief that human kindness, equality, and respect can endure even in the darkest times. The world depicted in this book isn’t cheerful, yet it is filled with sparks of hope, sparks that I’ve tried desperately to ignite.

Why did I choose to write this way — without embellishments, official documents, or declarations, but rather as if it were a personal letter? Because this is more than just a text on bookstore shelves. When you open this book, I want you to feel that I’m speaking directly to you, as if to a best friend, a cherished companion. When we realize someone shares our feelings — be it despair, confusion, or hope — it makes us feel less alone in this vast, frightening world.

My characters, their dramas, and their victories are fictional. But the fear at the heart of it all is real: I genuinely worry that times are becoming too harsh, that people are increasingly isolating themselves, fighting each other, and losing touch with compassion. Honestly, I’m not sure where to find quick answers. Fear holds me back, makes me hide, and prevents me from stepping outside with a sign or a loud slogan.

However, I know with certainty that equality, kindness, and openness to listening without prejudice are not just beautiful words. If we don’t hold onto these values, we risk slipping into a darkness where everyone is out for themselves. I don’t want that kind of world — not for myself, nor for you, nor for our children or friends.

When I say «this book is a ray of hope,» I’m not exaggerating. Perhaps it will help you — as it has helped me — discover a tiny spark of light within, even when every page is soaked in hardship and dark omens. They say hope is the strongest of human emotions, and it lives exactly where everything seems hopeless. Our minds and hearts stubbornly cling to the possibility that tomorrow might be better, that people can reclaim their humanity even when everything falls apart today.

I imagine you reading through these pages and encountering stories of characters who must survive in the midst of hostility — losing their moral compasses while still holding on to small, fleeting joys. I found myself in tears while crafting these narratives, inspired by real images from the news: migrant crises, racial conflicts, the decay of public dialogue. There were moments when I almost wanted to throw everything away and say, «I give up.» But it was in those moments I realized that surrendering would mean letting the feeling of futility win — and I refuse to let that happen.

Perhaps you, too, sometimes feel a void or powerlessness. Yet I am convinced that if our inner voice insists we must not betray the principles of goodness and courtesy, then we are standing on the right side of history.

This book is not a professional manifesto or an attempt to offer ready-made solutions. Rather, it is a collection of fragments from which I have assembled a unique mosaic of faith. I believe that someday — even if not immediately — the ideals of equality, political correctness, and compassion will once again become our primary values. Maybe that day is closer than we think, if all of us — me, you, your friends, my friends — lend even a small hand in bringing it about.

I want everyone who picks up these pages to feel: «I am not the only one who fears these dark times. And if the author, equally scared, managed to express their anxiety, then perhaps I too can do something — no matter how small — in my own life.» In this way, our collective energy can begin to spark small changes.

I believe it’s important to say this: I am not writing this book from a naive position. I am deeply troubled by the looming threat of societal division, by the ever-growing animosity, and by the fact that people seem to have stopped truly listening to one another. Yet even in the midst of fear, I choose to hold on to the conviction that human values will eventually prevail. Perhaps this is my most vulnerable — and at the same time, my strongest — position.

As you read about these characters and their fictional struggles, remember that their stories mirror our inner lives and our desperate desire not to lose that personal spark of light. Let these tales remind you that you are not alone in your hope for a better life, in your pursuit of justice — a justice that should be accessible to everyone, not just a select few «powerful» individuals.

I hope this book becomes a support for you during those moments when it feels like everything is falling apart. Open it to any page and see how the characters, even in far worse circumstances, still cling to their conscience, their dignity, and the belief that «tomorrow doesn’t have to be worse.» Perhaps this will help you make it through to that tomorrow with a calmer heart — and, most importantly, with the resolve not to stay silent in the face of injustice.

If there is one thing I wish to give you through this preface, it is the understanding that I am just as ordinary as everyone else. I’m not a super-activist or a famous leader — I’m more of a quiet observer who suddenly realized that silence kills hope. And so I decided to offer at least a word — a fictional story in which our fears take on an artistic form and our hopes a symbolic voice.

I believe that this voice — even if soft — is not without value. I trust it won’t be drowned out by a torrent of cynicism, but will reach those who, like me, refuse to give up even when they’re unsure where to start.

In that sense, dear reader, you are incredibly important to me. For if you hadn’t been willing to pick up this book, who would have heard my confession? Where else would I find confirmation that my anxiety and my faith are not solitary voices but part of a grand chorus that can transform our society? Yes, I speak to you now as if you were a friend, because this book was born from the desire to share both pain and hope, so that the latter does not remain locked away inside me.

So, as the author, I ask you: read this text not as cold fiction, but as an opportunity to connect with my fears and dreams. Treat the characters with understanding — as if they were truly fighting for life and freedom under conditions so harsh that, I hope, they never become our reality. But if they ever do, let their example remind you that even in the worst circumstances, one must never betray one’s noble principles.

For equality, kindness, and political correctness are not merely slogans; they are the very core of our humanity. They may seem futile in a moment of danger, but in truth, they are the most powerful shield against our descent into brutality.

Yes, I fear that our times are growing darker. Yet this book is my cry: «Do not let this darkness take hold of your heart!» I am far from heroic, but even I want to say that within each of us lies a seed from which a brighter, fairer future can grow. Let it manifest today at least through compassion for our neighbors, through a raised voice against injustice, through our readiness to support the vulnerable, and ultimately, through written stories that might ignite that very spark in someone else.

I do not know whether this book will become a great literary monument or simply fade away in digital archives. But I do know that it has already been of value to me and my friends. In the process of creating it, we found the words to express our fear and, at the same time, our tentative yet determined belief that people are not born evil — that together we can resist destructive forces if the spark of mutual respect still lives within us.

So here is my sincere, friendly request: after reading this book, try to hold on to the belief that light does not truly vanish. Discuss it with your loved ones, with your acquaintances; perhaps in those conversations, ideas will emerge on how we in the real world can preserve kindness, political correctness, equality, and love. And I will be heartened knowing that my humble letter — a letter filled with both fear and hope — has resonated with your soul.

Thank you for giving me the chance to explain why this book was born and how it has become a ray of hope for me. I cannot promise that we will...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 15.8.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• ISBN-13: 9780001032910 / 9780001032910