Ashanti by Rob Wolf

LARS BJORNSON, a successful Toronto architect, has travelled back to his rural hometown north of Toronto, called Hawthorne, to take care of his dying father. He is single, detached from his family, and wants little to do with the people and memories encased in the town. Despite this, his interest in the architectural diversity and historical nuance of the town have always resonated within him, speaking to his longing for connection to home and family. He has grown distant from his twin sister, and disillusioned with what has become of his boyhood home.

One day, in the middle of his father’s passing, he decides to visit a new, to him, coffee shop. He unexpectedly meets a fascinating and inspiring woman. The café is called Ashanti, and the owner THEA ROSE, a former lawyer, captures his imagination and opens him up to a new way of seeing his town and the world. They are both outsiders in this traditionally close-knit community, and they form an unlikely bond that begins their love story. Lars is captivated by her delightful presence and adventurous past. As they begin to get to know each other, Lars learns that Thea is a transgender woman, and although this is uncomfortable to him at first, her authentic essence speaks deeply to him.

Just as their passionate journey takes flight, the coffee shop is firebombed and destroyed in an act of revenge and transphobia. The ensuing investigation reveals troubling details about the perpetrators. The criminals have ties to his business in Toronto, but also to Hawthorne. Solving the crime exposes their vulnerabilities and fears. Through grief and loss, they draw strength from each other and from Thea’s origin story which led to the creation of the café. The discoveries they make help guide Lars through the process of reconciling his fractured relationship to his twin sister and to his past demons. As the investigation continues, it leads back to a traumatic event in Lars’ life that has defined him and held him hostage emotionally. Lars had been a witness to a sexual assault, but did not have the courage to help the victim, a decision that has haunted him, leaving a scar of shame and self-recrimination. Ultimately, Lars and Thea discover that the fire-bombing had been committed by the victim of the assault that Lars had witnessed so many years ago. Rather than seek retribution, they decide to explore the restorative justice appraoch to rebuild the life of the troubled perpetrator and restore hope in their community.

In the end, Lars and Thea demonstrate what it means to be vulnerable and evolve when seeking change and the power that courage has to transform life to something we desired but never thought possible: Reconciling with our past, rebuilding and re-purposing buildings, and families, can repair brokenness on a micro level and send ripple effects throughout our troubled world.