DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Bride Price

Ian Mathie author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Mosaique Press

Published:31st Jan '11

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Bride Price cover

Working and living in the forests of Zaire during the reign of President Mobuto Sese Seko, Ian Mathie found himself the foster father of an orphaned girl. When a powerful and feared man from another village demanded that he set a 'bride price' for the child, Ian was forced to rely on his wits and courage to find a way within the rich traditions of the area to set a fair price the man would refuse to pay. BRIDE PRICE tells the story of how this problem was resolved. Set in the brooding vastness of the tropical rain forest, it provides intimate insights into the lives of a little-known people and their complex relationship with their environment, the spirits and the outside world.

A wonderfully evocative account of a lost time in Africa before political, genocidal maelstroms reframed the way the continent is perceived. Writing with great sensitivity and authenticity, Mathie enriches our understanding not just of the people but of the human spirit that thrives there." - Tim Butcher, author of Blood River and Chasing the Devil. This inherently gripping story is made more so through Mathie's masterful writing. His remarkable skill for conveying the essence of characters further enhances the tale. In my opinion, this book should be required reading in all high schools. - Goodreads Brilliant! I loved it from start to finish. - Newbooks In terms of its overall flavour, quality and impact value, I'd bracket it with the classic 'Walkabout' by James Vance Marshall. - The Bookbag Insightful... thought-provoking... an incredible world far removed from anything most of us will have experienced. - The Leamington Courier

ISBN: 9781906852085

Dimensions: 259mm x 152mm x 13mm

Weight: 327g

240 pages