In The Road to Belonging: My Journey to Punta Gorda, Belize, African born Francis Mandewah shares his enlightening post-retirement quest for identity, home, and peace.

This is a continuation of the stories that began in his first memoir, Friendship: A True Story of Adventure, Goodwill, and Endurance, where he describes his journey through the Sahara Desert to Europe and finally to America. His path to and through America was never easy, but Francis’s resilience saw him through every challenge. Upon retirement from his job as probation and parole officer with the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections in 2016, he decided to retire in Belize, Central America. In 2017 he drove from St. Louis, MO through Mexico and arrived at his destination in Punta Gorda, Belize. In The Road to Belonging, Francis reflects on a life-changing journey, an answer to a pull for something different—a longing for a new chapter that would reinvigorate his spirit.

Drawn to the vibrant culture and natural beauty of Belize, he discovers not only a new country but also deeper truths about resilience, faith, and community. This memoir installment entails an extraordinary life journey and universal story of starting over, embracing change, and finding belonging in unexpected places.

For Francis, The Road to Belonging is not just the story of an adventure, a tale of discovery of unexpected connection and community. He shares his fascination and the joy of learning that he underwent searching for his new home in Belize, a place that he didn’t know he was looking for until he found it. Assimilating into his new home was like being reborn. Like many true adventurers, he is constantly driven by a deeper yearning: one seeking a new perspective.

In its pages Road to Belonging shares colors, rhythms, and spirit while inviting listeners to walk alongside the author on the road that led him not only to a new country, but but a deeper sense of belonging.