In Search of Sticks simultaneously challenges the intellect while surfacing raw emotional response. James, by the standards one generally uses to measure a life, is accomplished. Still, he twists. What if, in the final analysis, it ends up being as much about that which wasn't done rather than just what was acted upon? Paths are chosen. Steps are taken. A compelling parallel story unfoldsâHope's African existence. It was emphatically stated that "God does not have favorites." But is this true? A picture is painted and its canvas is littered with the likenesses of disease and poverty and the images of those trapped in the geography of violence. Despite the forms of tragedy that present themselves, this story is full of hope. The victories are told in the small tales and the sheer numbers who do not sell their souls.