First published 2010
Jim Tulloh arrives in Zambawi to teach at a bush school, hoping for some character building in sub-Saharan Africa. The banana republic teeters on the edge of revolution. President Adini, a dictator and eunuch, desperately holds onto power while his soldiers swap sides so frequently they lose track of which uniform to wear. Jim settles into what promises to be a relaxed routine with help from Musa, the local witchdoctor, some gassy marijuana, and PK, the headmaster. Then the Black Boot Gang snatches Jim from his school. The rebel kidnappers decide to invoke the spirit of Great Chief Tuloko, and Jim discovers his destiny will unfold in ways he never imagined.
Genres: fiction, adventure, political-thriller, africa
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, political-intrigue
Setting: Zambawi
Period: 20th-century
366 pages · Paperback · Penguin UK