Me Before Them

By Janvier Chouteu-Chando

Me Before Them by Janvier Chouteu-Chando is a gripping collection of seven interconnected short stories that slice through the human soul with unflinching precision.

In a world where ambition, anger, avarice, envy, and pride quietly sabotage peace, Chouteu-Chando's characters collide with their deepest flaws and redemptive sparks. The stories weave a tapestry of family bonds, twisted passions, and moral reckonings-often across generations and cultures drawn from the author's own multicultural roots.

Highlights include: In Dark Shades, a haunted man strips bare his secrets to his family, rediscovering childlike trust-only to learn that true happiness demands empathy and selfless giving.The Grandmothers unleashes fierce matriarchs who storm in to rescue their grandchildren from the wreckage their own children have created, blending tough love, solidarity, and quiet penance.The Hunger Fire follows a man who trades the steady warmth of family and friends for the blaze of sexual conquest and fleeting glory.The Fire and Ice Legend track a gifted prodigy's descent into a "sinning saint" existence-driven by love for humanity yet scorched by remorse-until penance offers fragile peace.Fateful Ties sees a young novice's quiet dedication force two brothers to question whether true giving is charity, solidarity, or hidden atonement.The Sweetest Madness hurtles a honeymoon into chaos when a delusional act of "killing for God" shatters illusions.The Doctors delivers a jaded sage's sobering redemption through the unexpected outreach of a young woman he once mentored.

Fast-paced, psychologically sharp, and emotionally charged, Me Before Them journeys through senseless power, unswerving loyalty, unbridled ambition, inglorious honor, and delusional exceptionalism. It leaves readers haunted by one unforgettable, jaded soul and the timeless truth that confronting our inner enemies may be the only path to genuine connection.

Perfect for fans of literary fiction that probes the raw edges of family, faith, and the human condition, this collection pulses with insight, tension, and hard-won hope.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1520649576
• ISBN13: 9781520649573
• Release Date: February 2017
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"