Paradise

Yusuf is a young boy, an indentured servant to an Arab trader, living in a cloistered environment amidst much he doesn’t understand. On a trading trip from the Swahili coast, through the foothills of Kilimanjaro, and on to Lake Victoria, he has the opportunity to see foreign wonders, learn how the trader negotiates, and see the attitudes of the Swahili traders toward the people from the interior, the relatively new Indian immigrants, and the German colonizers. The trip is brutal; descriptions are straightforward and realistic but the author never sensationalizes events. This is an important piece of the incredible variety… show more.

Set in East Africa in the late 19th century, this novel follows the adventures of Yusuf, a young boy who is sold by his father in repayment of a debt, to an Arabic trader called Aziz. 

It describes the harsh conditions of ‘uncle’ Aziz’s trading trips from the coast to the interior including attacks by wild animals, and dealings with hostile tribes and the almost alien-like European colonialists. What I loved most about this book was the great balance between the subtle development of the diverse characters, the descriptions of the environment, and the eventful adventure story. Overall a… show more.