Children Are Diamonds: An African Apocalypse

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Children are diamonds : an African apocalypse : a novel

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How do these people continue to face the enormity of the daily emergency of Africa. Each child you help has left another crowd of children not to be saved. A shattering scene involves our narrator being tasked by his would be lover, Ruth, to pick a patient to drive with him to Nairobi. Too attractive, and a girl might be grabbed for rape. Too strong, and a man may be drafted.

But the weak and the profoundly ill will not survive, better a place for just the right child. In this case it is the deeply likable, wall-eyed YaYa. The author has masterfully resisted the temptation to arrange the action in a straight column.

Children are Diamonds by Edward Hoagland

He allows us to waver in the mad fate that surviving a day requires, yet he saves us just short of utter despair. For a certain type of oerson, the mud and the chaos weaves a type of awful home that is not able to be escaped. These people are not saints; they are wounded healers. Many of them are dilettantes, risk seekers, competitive aid workers. In answering the question , "why try here", the writing drew me in to the point that I was literally startled to still be warm, fed, and safe when I looked up.

Hoagland 's writing enmeshes the reader into the world where nothing works and discord burns across whole peoples. Yet it is not repellant. It is a challenge to start to even glimpse what it takes to understand Africa, and to wonder rather, "Why haven't I tried.? This author has captured a corner of our world which needs to be seen. I discovered Children are Diamonds after reading a review of the book; I bought the book expecting another stereotyped softened version of Africa. Much to my shock, the book proved to be something much deeper, and for that reason, much more effective than anything I expected.

I won't rehash the plot except to say that it is a first person narrative done by an occasional aide worker and otherwise ne'er do well, to quote our narrator who, over the course of the book, undertakes three trips to southern Sudan now South Sudan for a second tier relief agency. The events of the book take place in and are largely accurate. Our protagonist starts his narrative seemingly numb, but by the end of the book his heart is partially broken, and so are the readers'.

This isn't a book for the squeamish,especially the last chapter: A few last comments: I found Hoagland's writing style difficult at first. He prefers both long, run-on sentences and even longer paragraphs. He also has a depth of knowledge about Africa and the Sudan that requires the reader to know a significant amount of historical background info to fully enjoy the nuances of the book. Nevertheless, this is a book that rewards the dedicated reader. I hope the book gains a wider audience. I read this book to learn more about what life is like currently in South Sudan. From that perspective it succeeds brilliantly.

It is very detailed and brutally honest. As a novel, I do not think it succeeds. I feel like he was aiming for a breezy Hemingway protagonist but missed the mark. The main character is a driver delivering aid and people from one place to another, so it works for "seeing" different areas in central Africa, but he is used more as a device for reporting on Africa than a character with any depth; his background, needs, desires and motivations are not fleshed out sufficiently, and he skates through the book with no ties or no relationships of any depth.

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I would still highly recommend this book for anyone considering doing aid work in Africa or interested in learning about day-to-day life in South Sudan, because it gives a very accurate feel for what is involved. At first, I found it difficult to follow the story because of the style of writing but once I got the hang of his style I found it a fascinating, albeit gruesome, story. The E-mail message field is required. Please enter the message. Please verify that you are not a robot.

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English View all editions and formats Summary: Meet Hickey, an American school teacher in his late thirties, an American school teacher who burns his bridges with the school board and goes to Africa as an aid worker. Working for an agency in Nairobi, one of his jobs is to drive food and medical supplies to Southern Sudan to an aid station run by Ruth, a middle-aged woman, who acts as nurse, doctor, hospice worker, feeder of starving children, and witness.

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Ruth is gruff but efficient, and Hickey, who is usually drawn to youth and beauty, is struck by her devotion. Returning to Nairobi, he can't forget what he has seen. When the violence and chaos in the region increase to a fever pitch and aid workers are being slaughtered or evacuated, Hickey is asked to save Ruth overland by Jeep. What happens to them and the children that have joined their journey is the searing climax of this novel.

Hoagland paints an unflinching portrait of a living hell at its worst, and yet amid that suffering there is hope in the form of humility, sacrifice, and life-affirming friendship. Allow this favorite library to be seen by others Keep this favorite library private. Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item Edward Hoagland Find more information about: Publisher Synopsis A gritty cinematic story wrapped in brilliant African detail, mesmerizing, from the unforgettable opening scene, on to the end.

User-contributed reviews Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Similar Items Related Subjects: Americans -- South Sudan -- Fiction. Humanitarian assistance -- Africa -- Fiction. Child soldiers -- Africa -- Fiction. Linked Data More info about Linked Data. Home About Help Search. Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions. Remember me on this computer. Cancel Forgot your password? English View all editions and formats.