Description
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.
What does it cost to do the right thing?
Your time?
Your money?
Your career?
Your family?
Ed Caine and Beatrice Kamunda just want to make a difference. From their modest NGO office in the African city of Kisuru, they plan to spend millions improving the lives of those who need it most.
Yet they are working in a country where altruistic dreams can get caught in a web of corruption and violence. Can Ed trust the overtures of politician Pamela Abasi? And should Bea take the obvious affection of slum boy-turned businessman Solomon Ouko at face value?
When rebel fighters in the hills have their own plans for change, it is no longer just the slum inhabitants whose lives hang in the balance . . .
Powerful, timely and unflinching, Ten Weeks in Africa shows that even the strongest convictions can be tested to the limit, while love may survive the most dangerous terrain.
Set in a fictitious African country, this is a powerful exploration of corruption, integrity, and the gulf between ideals and reality, by a 21st-Century Graham Greene.
About the Author
JM Shaw lives in Bath. His first novel, THE ILLUMINATION OF MERTON BROWNE, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth First Book Award.
Reviews
Page-turning and deeply moving. A masterpiece. * Amanda Foreman *
All the pace and drama you could wish for * Guardian *
Lucid and humane * Charles Moore, Daily Telegraph *
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 *
'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 *
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'
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 *
An explosive, disturbingly realistic story * Guardian *
Visceral, tough and original * Tim Lott *
'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 *
Book Information
ISBN 9780340934067
Author J M Shaw
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Sceptre
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 262g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 24mm
