The start had me hooked. Wondering what had caused this character, Gerry, to be in the state he was in.
A depressing life for the main character. Abused and neglected by both parents, driven to commit desperate acts. And now in adulthood he struggles with the past, trying to understand how it all went wrong.
The fascinating world of Africa, the poor world, the over-crowded country. The novel gives an informative insight to this completely different world. Probably the highlight to the novel; as although in certain areas there were some interesting aspects, it was a bit slow in places.
Although this story reads like a typical novel, it does come across more like a biography which it really is. The author writes about his own experience of child abuse, neglect and hardship. His battle with drugs and other demons. His travels across Africa is a fascinating insight to this culture. He clearly creates an image of the stark landscape, and the surprising friendliness of the people.
His near death experiences a reminder of how dangerous this country is. A surprising twist to his adventures is his falling into the job of teaching the children, revealing of how the abuse made him, and how these children changed him.
The story continues going back to the days of the terrible abuse the author suffered. It shows the amazing power of resilience. It is hard to believe that such terrible things can happen, and how some choose to overcome it.
Although this novel may not be the most interesting novel I’ve read, the courage it must have taken for the author to put all of this on paper is incredible. Suitable for those that need a journey of self-discovery. Because it is based on real events it does make this story a bit more sentimental.
Just don’t expect a lot of excitement, as the book is created to convey the experiences of the author, not to hype up the book.
3/5 stars
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