The 17th Suitcase

With a literary bent, a knack for speaking and writing with a dose of humor, Rev Samuel Moonsamy started writing short stories in Apartheid South Africa in the 1950's. As a child in a large family with very little means, he would wait for his dad to arrive home with the used newspapers from the hotel, where his dad worked as a waiter. Samuel would climb onto the rooftop of his cramped home, with a lamp, eager to read every word on every page. It was here where his love for reading and writing blossomed. His dream was to someday publish his stories with the hope that it would have an impact on his world. He inspired his wife and children to share some of their stories too, resulting in a compilation of intergenerational vignettes spanning two countries from faraway continents. His hope is that more people will share their experiences so that the generations to come will not repeat past injustices and be raised in a changed world. Rev. Samuel Moonsamy and his wife, Sue, now reside in Oakland, California. They immigrated to the USA with 6 children in 1985. Their "little" family of 8 has now grown to a family of 17.