Jim Freedman has had a varied career, first as Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Western University and then as head of his international consulting firm that specialized in economic and social strategies for reducing conflict in areas of crisis. His firm worked professionally in twenty-eight countries over a period of thirty-five years. Throughout, he has authored or co-authored eight books on a diversity of topics including African religion, professional wrestling, Zen Buddhism, the struggle for equality among Afro-Canadians in Eastern Canada, and the first trial at the International Criminal Court. His most recent is a collection of short true tales of the endurance of victims, women, men, and communities caught in war zones throughout the world.

Carpet of Tears is a collection of true-to-life tales about women, men and children who have coped with violence in countries where venal rulers have wrought political havoc. This has become more and more common in recent years and this book, through its stories, portrays this spread of social chaos. The author has known many of these individuals, or known of them, and in some cases has been exposed to these crises first-hand. These are stories about those, undaunted, who have stood up to these tragic circumstances and the rogue actors who provoke them. Some of the victims have survived, some have not, and this book is a tribute to them. If there is hope for a better world, some small part of this hope can be glimpsed in these stories.

Sissiboo River Redemption is based on a true story of black Baptists in 1883 Nova Scotia divided over whether they should join the white church or remain separate and autonomous. A bitter rift tore the group apart revealing the pain that is so often felt by marginalized people. This is a story of struggle and forgiveness by a community seeking justice within a harsh and racist environment, while remaining true to their abolitionist convictions.

In the final hour of the annual African Baptist gathering, after days of emotional upheaval and debate, Mount Beulah Church convulsed with the words of one of the greatest preachers of the day, seizing parishioners with a spiritual awakening and shaking the room with the rapture of communion.