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 from Africa through Italy and Greece and ultimately to America. His path to and through America was never easy, but Francis’s resilience and adventurous spirit saw him through every challenge. Upon retirement from his job as probation and parole agent with State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections, he finds himself asking: what’s next? He chronicles the answer to that question and his pursuit of yet another goal: spending his retirement years along the coast of Central America.

Mandewah’s tale is a reminder that no matter where the road begins, the search for home is a journey worth taking. 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, it is 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 readers to walk alongside the author on the road that led him not only to a new country, but to a deeper sense of belonging.