Thursday 12 December 2013

The Tragic Romance of Africa

It has been a really thoughtful week world wide as Mr Nelson Mandela passed away, which has highlighted the plight of Africa.   

I just happened to read a really good book written by my step daughter-in-law's grandfather Dennis Hubbard:


It is a tender true story revealing the memoirs of a young man setting out from his daredevil ‘Dennis the Menace’ upbringing in post war Sheffield to work for a railway company in the little mining town of Broken Hill in Northern Rhodesia in the early 1950s.    The book is a real page turner with laugh out loud moments as the story beautifully unfolds.   The descriptions of Africa in the 1950s are breath taking and I felt as though I was there.    The narrative brings to life an amazing country and the wonder of seeing wild, wild animals – up very close!    

The tragedy unfolds against the shocking backdrop of Apartheid through the eyes of a plucky young adventurer, unbelievably naïve in the world of complex adult relationships.   The author develops influential and powerful allies but is tragically blind to an illicit love tryst involving his closest friends, until it is too late, with horrid consequences. 

It was a privilege to read this honest and heart felt coming of age account in contrast to today’s usual unbelievable gory best sellers.

If you have received a stack of book vouchers this Christmas – this is an absorbing insight to another life, another place, another time.

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