White Man's Grave describes, in one scene, a ritual female circumcision. But, as strange as some of these things may seem, Dooling reminds us that such traditions have existed for thousands of years. Interfering with them poses a moral dilemma that Dooling's characters must face. A contrasting part of the novel is set in Indianapolis, where the missing volunteer's father, Randall Killigan, is a ruthless bankruptcy lawyer. Dooling will occasionally still write legal briefs for clients or other lawyers on a freelance basis but he doesn't miss being a full-time lawyer.
Litigation is intellectual warfare.
You do your best to 'harm' the other side in much the same way an African villager tries to harm an enemy using bad medicine or witchcraft. He has no plans to, although his friend, who married a Sierra Leonean woman and is presently living in Buffalo, New York, wants to return with his wife and children. He's waiting now for a new Red Cross assignment which will allow him to go back to Africa and remain for at least several years. Unfortunately, everyone there has given up on government. When Boone Westfall catches up with his buddy in the book, he finds that he is in the hands of some dangerous teenaged Sierra Leonean rebels.