NP? The Heart of Redness

[Doug Millison]

Heard an interview with Zakes Mda, author of the new
novel,  The Heart of Redness, on NPR's Morning Edition
this morning.  The interviewer and author mentioned
Heart of Darkness.  Some of you might find it
interesting.

at the novel's Amazon.com page:
 
"Editorial Reviews
>From Publishers Weekly
In Mda's richly suggestive novel, a Westernized
African, Camagu, becomes embroiled in a village
dispute that has its roots in the 19th century. The
war between the amaXhosa and the British in South
Africa (known to Westerners as the Zulu Wars) was
interrupted by a strange, messianic interlude in which
the amaXhosa followed the self-destructive commands of
the prophet Nongqawuse and were split between
followers of Nongqawuse (Believers) and their
opponents (Unbelievers). In the village of
Qolorha-by-Sea in the late 20th century, the Believers
still flourish. They put the onus for the distressing
failure of Nongqawuse's visions on the Unbelievers'
unbelief. The chief Believer is Zim; his rival, the
chief Unbeliever, is Bhonco. The white store owner,
Dalton, whose ancestor killed Zim and Bhonco's
forefather, Xikixa, is on the Believers' side in the
village's current controversy over whether or not to
allow a casino in the village. The Believers oppose
the changes they foresee coming to the village's
traditions. The Unbelievers want economic development.
Camagu originally comes to Qolorha looking for a woman
whose memory haunts him. He ends up being associated
with the cold, beautiful Xoliswa Ximiya, Bhonco's
daughter, whose scorn for tradition eventually drives
her from the village. Secretly, however, Camagu lusts
for Qukezwa, the squat but sexy daughter of Zim. Mda's
sympathies are with the Believers, but his eminent
fairness forbids mere didacticism, and his joy in the
back and forth of village politics beautifully
communicates itself to the reader through poetic
language enlivened by humor and irony."

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374528349/qid=1029943997/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6716133-8509637



=====
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<http://www.dougday.blogspot.com/>
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