Spotted in a Healthy Planet shop and could not resist picking up.

The book is set in late 1959 early 1960 in Belgian Congo which is lurching towards catastrophic independence "Depanda" when the narrator Irish/English author James Gillespie flies into Leopoldville to be reunited with his Italian lover Ines Sabiana, a journalist with L'Unita. And it was a catastrophe. Before independence the highest ranked black administrator was a mere clerk and the highest ranked black soldier was a NCO. When Belgium suddenly decides to give the Congo independence in six months there is no smooth handover of power instead all the whites jump ship and the country, despite being probably the most mineral rich country in Africa is left bankrupt. When Patrice Lumumba, the leader of the biggest political group and a unionist,is voted into power he makes the ill-judged decision to give all public workers, other than the Army, a large pay rise and is promptly overthrown in a coup by Joseph Mobutu. This leads to disintegration of the country with widespread petty and systematic brutality on both political and tribal grounds. Into this political vacuum steps the vying superpowers USSR and America to further muddy the waters.

I recently read 'A Sunday by the Pool in Kigali' and thoroughly enjoyed that. This was an enjoyable read but not up to that standard. That said if I spot any more of Ronan Bennett's books I will not shy away from picking them up.

Going out as a surprise bonus book. I hope that its not something that you have already read. Enjoy!

Thanks 4evagreen. Certainly not a book I've ever read or would ever have chosen. I shall keep it on the bookshelf until such a time as it appeals...or I feel guilty because too many months have passed!