Child of the Storm

Celeste was born during a hurricane back in 1909 and struggled with great storms most of her long life, living on low ground in low lying New Orleans. She was a private, practical, and sensitive woman who believed things should be done well and for the right reasons. So armed to the teeth with strong and simple skills, deep imagination, a wide streak of creativity and fierce determination, she pondered what one soft spoken but focused person could do in the face of feeble levees and prowling storms. If the great and powerful wouldn’t do what they should to keep her neighborhood safe from flood, then she’d need to take all her skills, imagination and creativity, and do the job herself. There are storms in this story, but it is not about storms. There are ghosts, but it is not a ghost story. There is a Voodoo Queen, and an Englishman, bread and books and bears, but it is not really about those either. Celeste’s is a story about the ripples made by simple but timely words and deeds—for good or ill. A story about the power of the small but mighty. About moving heaven and earth to save something you love.