Swimming in the Congo
In this enjoyable first novel Grace Berggren, the daughter of an agricultural missionary, lives with her parents and sister in the Belgian Congo (now Zaire), where she experiences the curious blend of European Protestantism and African native beliefs. As a seven-year-old, Grace searches the jungle behind her house, hoping to sneak up on the elusive equator her father is always talking about. On the way to boarding school she confronts racism in its uncensored state. When her father contracts jungle fever, Grace barters for a fetish with which she can protect him. The author's flowing prose vividly presents the conflicts and struggles of a complex childhood against an exotic tropical backdrop. The book is thought-provoking and delightful. Highly recommended.?Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., ProvidenceCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.