Review essay that discusses two volumes concerned with hopes and images of the future on Timor island in the contemporary era. These works are Judith H. Bovensiepen (ed.), The Promise of Prosperity: Visions of the Future in Timor-Leste. Acton: Australian National University Press, 2018; and Andrey Damaledo, Divided Loyalties: Displacement, Belonging and Citizenship among East Timorese in West Timor. Acton: Australian National University Press, 2018.