Bought in the 10p section of the Prince of Wales hospice to read, but Mt TBR is getting out of control, so this is being freed :)

RELEASE NOTES:

Taking to the meet tomorrow.

Picked up at bookcrossing meetup 10.9.05. To be read.

This was passed on to me by sland (who I notice hasn't reviewed it yet -get a move on!).

I really enjoyed this book. The backdrop of Congolese independence is vivid and fascinating, and the dilemmas, both small and large scale, are compelling. All the characters are shown in a truthful (and often harsh) light and the brutality and nastiness increases as the story goes on.

However, while I felt some sypathy for almost everyone, in that I could understand why they acted as they did, I had pretty much none for Ines. She is a naive, brainwashed, and actually rather selfish person and her plight shows just what too much blind idealism can do.

A fascinating study of love and politics, the big and the small of human concerns, and the clash between idealism and political apathy. A recommended read.

RELEASE NOTES:

In the pile of Bookcrossing books by the window.