I enjoyed it – and that surprised me. The entire book is quite slow and drawn out (think literature not library novel). But there are some very good themes and some interesting journeys for the characters.

The story of the unpleasantly caricatured Baptist missionary, Nathan Price, who wants to convert a village in the Congo, and goes with his wife and four daughters, in total naivity. Their frivolous nature and lack of preparation is symbolised by the packets of cake mix they take with them, with NO idea about the conditions they will meet.

The story is well told in the voices of the wife and daughters, which are distinct and give differing viewpoints which mix together to build up the story. There’s even some humour in Rachel’s malapropisms. In the second half of the book, political intrigue is described, again from varying vantage points, and this was apparently the main reason for writing the book.

It’s often long-winded and rambling, and took me over two weeks to complete. On the other hand, it was quite compulsive and thought-provoking.

This is one of my all time favourite books. It is exceedingly wellwritten. This is no “airport novel”. It will have you thinking for a long time after you finish it.