Review: A Tale of Survival
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2012
A plane crash in the African bush leaves a group of adults and a 14-year-old girl at the mercy of the elements and a gang of ruthless diamond smugglers.Some of the passengers want to stay with the wreckage, hoping to negotiate with the smugglers while awaiting rescue. That soon proves the wrong choice. Twelve adults elect to take the suggestion of Maudie Freyer and follow her teenaged niece farther into the wilderness.Some might question the wisdom of that choice. Yet Van Rooyen eloquently shows people should not be judged as equals. There are just too many facets to humanity for that to be possible. Children are raised differently. We all come with varying advantages and influences. Some are more intelligent than others. Some are more physically developed.Angelina Freyer--born in Africa, raised on a Kenyan farm, friend of the Masai--is the only one among them equipped to lead this journey for survival. Besides, as she frequently comments, the girl reads--a lot. Even she will learn as they struggle through the bush, evading the smugglers and going from one danger to another, they all have their important skills to share.An enjoyable read with lots of charm and surprises.