![]() ![]() We read about how experiences as she acclimates to her new home and ultimately her role in the villagers' lives. The story delves into the events that occur after Sarah’s arrival and how she and the villagers’ lives are all interconnected. member to help the Basotho, an indigenous peoples from an African village. Spiral Aloe relates the account of Sarah, an American woman, who decides to become a Peace Corps. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Readers who enjoy fiction that includes non-fiction elements of cultural and anthropological interest would enjoy L.A. If it's the latter, I know I'd want to read more! Depending on the reader's interpretation, I think the end could be viewed as either a poetic completion of the story, or as if the author maybe be leaving room for a sequel. The novel seemed to wrap up very quickly. The narrative was rich and descriptive without being too wordy, and I enjoyed that very much. Sometimes the dialogue felt slightly stilted, but overall it was good. This added a layer of complexity to the problems facing the people of this remote village. I thought these things were well enough in the past, but the story showed how the aftermath (especially of apartheid) continues to influence the attitudes and behavior of the people. I was struck by the underlying themes of colonialism and apartheid. It was stated that Sarah came to Lesotho because she'd grown cynical and needed a break, but I grew tired of always hearing negative things every time the U.S. ![]() She seemed to be eager to point out the faults of Americans, and to agree when others mentioned faults, but she never really spoke well of her own country. Once in a while, Sarah rubbed me the wrong way. She also includes a number of color photographs throughout the book, which was a real treat! Although this area of the world is unfamiliar to me, the photos helped me see the book's setting in my mind. There is also a glossary on the last few pages of the book, if needed. The first appearance of a Sesotho word included a translation in parentheses but only at the first appearance, which prevented any interruption to the flow of the story. ![]() I loved how Forbes included the Sesotho language throughout. The story takes place in the fictional village of Malikeng, in the actual country of Lesotho, an enclave surrounded by South Africa. Spiral Aloe is a short novel classified as literary/anthropological fiction. Naipaul’s, Guerrillas, without the totally prevailing darkness, isolation and bitterness.Īs an after thought, there is also a shade of July's People by Nadine Gordimer here. With work fleshing out the various underlying intrigues and sprouting characters, there are the seeds of a great novel here. The story is well written and edited but the amazing photos make it difficult to imagine that it is not autobiographical. Authentic characters flounder in an anchorless boat. Emotional and cultural tensions mount as the remote society progresses outside the scope of its traditional arbiter, the chief. Various subplots, the AIDS epidemic, cultural disintegration, and emotional deceit are woven seamlessly together. The author manages the main plot introducing an American Peace Corps’ volunteer expertly. Her canvas depicts an imaginary village in the mountains of an isolated country, Lesotho, located inside South Africa. More a novella than a novel, Spiral Aloe plumbs the depths of some thorny issues in the developing world. Spiral Aloe: Deceit in Lesotho, Africa's Mountain Kingdom by L.A. I self-published "Spiral Aloe: Deceit in Lesotho, Africa's Mountain Kingdom", a work of fiction about that beautiful country. The intense politics and disparities, coupled with stunning people, make RSA an amazing place to live. I teach ESL (Cambridge CELTA certificate) and maths, working mostly with rural schools. We've travelled into Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and all over South Africa. From the southwest my husband and I moved to Lesotho, southern Africa and taught small business and HIV/AIDS prevention for two years. Next chapter was in southern Utah starting and running a successful business in Moab for seven years. From there I travelled independently to Tibet, China, Burma and Vietnam, often seeing places just opened to foreigners. I grew up in Montana, graduated from UW, Seattle in archeology and worked in The Philippines with Asian ceramics dating from the 10th to 19th centuries. I've had a peripatetic existence, by choice. ![]()
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