First published 1995
Rosie Richardson abandons her shallow London television career for humanitarian work in the fictional African nation of Nambula. She runs a refugee camp while navigating the complexities of aid work, local politics, and her own romantic entanglements. The story moves between her privileged media world in London and the harsh realities of famine relief in Africa. Rosie discovers that celebrity fundraising campaigns often miss the mark while real people suffer from bureaucratic delays and political interference. She faces moral dilemmas about Western intervention and questions whether her efforts truly help or merely satisfy her own need for purpose. The novel explores the gap between good intentions and effective action in international development work.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, africa, activism
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, moral-dilemma
Setting: Africa, London, Nambula
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
342 pages · Paperback · Picador