Ten Weeks in Africa - Hardcover

J.M. Shaw

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0340934050 ISBN 13: 9780340934050

Publisher: Sceptre, 2012

Synopsis

A vivid, gripping novel about corruption, integrity and good intentions gone wrong, set in an African country on the brink of civil war, for fans of John le Carre, Graham Greene and William Boyd. As Ed and Sarah Caine's plane passes over the Ngozi hills and begins its descent into Kisuru, Sarah is dazzled by the purity of unspoiled nature, the perfect environment in which to raise their son. Ed, meanwhile, as Director of the Global Justice Alliance for East Africa, looks forward to rolling up his sleeves and making a real difference in a country that seems to be developing fast. Below them, in the sprawling Makera slum, Stephen Odinga - who has to find a way of making more money for his dying mother than they can earn through the family business selling fried bananas - decides to try a more lucrative line of business. Meanwhile, Joseph Kamunda, a senior official in a government that for five years has been failing to deliver on its promise to end political corruption, is feeling isolated and exposed, while others around him covertly seek personal advantage out of International Aid programmes. And beyond the hills, a rebel army seethes and waits, poised to tip the country into civil war. Before he knows it, the duplicity Ed thinks he has left behind in England will begin to infect his own family. Ten Weeks in Africa explores, in urgent, breathtaking prose, the tensions between our ideals and our reality, the deep rifts of cultural misunderstanding and the true cost of uninformed good intentions.

About this title

About the Author

JM Shaw lives in Bath. His first novel, THE ILLUMINATION OF MERTON BROWNE, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth First Book Award.

Review

'A vivid, sometimes shocking novel, which combines a fast-moving narrative with an incisive, satirical critique of comprehensive education' * Piers Paul Read, Spectator , Books of the Year * Visceral, tough and original * Tim Lott * An explosive, disturbingly realistic story * Guardian * Merton has a distinctive voice - edgy, sharp, and avid for adventure, whether it's drugs or sex. His inner struggle to abandon his self-destructive path and become responsible for his own life makes for a gripping read. * Daily Mail * Praise for The Illumination of Merton Browne: 'As soon as you read the first page you're gripped by the voice...a state of the nation novel...a very tough, unflinching look at what life is like today...but there's also an incredible amount of hope...scary, compelling, original...brilliant' * Boyd Hilton, Simon Mayo Show, Radio 5 * 'Shaw's pacing, happily, is almost faultless. With its emphasis on dialogue, its ensemble cast, its moral dilemmas and its well-maintained tension his book has the feel already of a television miniseries . . . it is crammed with plot and constant drama.' * Literary Review * A dramatic story which involves the reader from the first page. The insight into the politics of overseas aid is as convincing and courageous as the author's depiction of comprehensive education in The Illumination of Merton Browne. * Piers Paul Reed * Lucid and humane * Charles Moore, Daily Telegraph * Had all the pace and drama you could wish for * Guardian * Page-turning and deeply moving. A masterpiece. * Amanda Foreman *

Edition details

• Publisher: Sceptre
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0340934050
• ISBN 13: 9780340934050
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 384