If She Were Alive

A novel by Tanzanian writer Lubacha Deus. At twelve, Wema loses her mother to suicide. Caught between a vicious stepmother and an inattentive father, she must endure grief with guts and determination. Despite the cruelties life throws at her, she keeps hope alive and refuses to grow disillusioned or bitter. Wema is a child of immense strength, proof that difficult circumstances can be overcome through resilience and inner conviction. The novel follows her quiet refusal to be defined by tragedy, and the slow construction of a self that survives loss and abuse. A contemporary Tanzanian story for young adult readers about courage, resilience, and the long work of recovery from grief.