This fascinating debut by Karen Lord-a retelling of a Senegalese folktale-earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and won the Frank Collymore Award. When Paama finally leaves her gluttonous husband, she attracts the attention of the undying spirit Patience, who gives her Chance's Chaos Stick as a gift. But Chance insists that only he should wield the stick's powers. "This is one of those literary works of which it can be said that not a word should be changed."-Booklist, starred review