Press release
Mission, an African novel set in Kenya by Philip Spires is now available
Mission is set in mid-1970s Kenya and is based on Philip’s two years as a volunteer in the country. Five characters, a priest, a politician, a teacher, a school graduate and a retired army officer see a series of events from their own individual perspectives. The central chapter is set thirty years later in London to offer a perspective on how lives change. The novel deals with the concept of identity, seen through filters of poverty, religion, politics and, underpinning everything, an idea of justice, a continuum within which each character is seen to pursue some personal mission.Michael, a missionary priest in Kenya, has just killed Munyasya, a retired army officer. It might have been an accident, but Mulonzya, a politician resentful of the power of foreign churches, tries to exploit the tragedy for his own ends. Boniface, a young church worker, and his wife, Josephine, have just lost their child. They did not make it to the hospital in time, possibly because Michael made a detour to retrieve a letter from the mission, a letter from Janet, a former volunteer teacher who was the priest’s neighbour for two years. It is Munyasya who has the last laugh, however, when he reveals that he was probably in control of events all along. Thirty years on, the same characters find their lives still influenced by his memory.
Budget airlines have made travelling far easier in recent years and many of us have enjoyed holidays in exotic places: on safaris in East Africa, trekking through Nepal, cruising the Amazon. However, after putting away the souvenirs and sorting out the snap shots, we often feel that there is something amiss. Yes, the animals are great, the local markets colourful and some of the foods quite exquisite. But do we get to know anything of the local people? We exchange a few words with them, engage in bargaining over prices, and laugh over misunderstandings, but we know nothing of their hopes and aspirations. Sometimes, we may have serious conversations in bars or restaurants with some locals that are fluent in our language or with some expatriates working in the country. Unfortunately, even these conversations may be just stereo-types: the country is utterly corrupted, the government is hopelessly incompetent; the people have not moved from the Middle Ages, etc.
Mission, by Philip Spires, offers an armchair exploration of the locals and foreign workers in a poor village in Kenya. Through their stories, we get to know their hopes and aspirations, their dilemmas, the circumstances that force them to act the way they do and, ultimately, their humanity. The book begins with a car accident in which the village drunk, a character nobody liked much, got killed. However, the day of the accident proves to be fateful for the major characters of the book. Like Kurosawa’s movie Rashomon, each of the major characters – a Catholic priest who cares more about the welfare of the people in this life than for their souls in the next life, an earnest young Kenyan who wants to become a Catholic priest, a couple of local entrepreneurs who cleverly exploit the business and political opportunities in Kenya just after it gained independence etc – tells their hopes and ambitions, their circumstances and their dilemmas. The car accident at the beginning of the book turns out to be the denouement for the major characters.
The book is only published recently but has been incubated by Philip over many years while he spent time in Kenya, London, Brunei and the United Arab Emirates. While his portrayal of Kenya and London is quite vivid, we also recognise the basic humanity of the characters in the book. It is comforting to know that while we face different circumstances, we are basically the same round the world. This is a message we need to remind ourselves constantly as tribal and sectarian conflicts exploded in recent years. Full details on http://www.philipspires.co.uk
Libros International PR
Carrer Agro 5
La Nucia
Alicante Spain
http://www.philipspires.co.uk
Libros International, the author's publisher, is based in UK and Spain.
This release was published on openPR.
Permanent link to this press release:
Copy
Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release.
You can edit or delete your press release Mission, an African novel set in Kenya by Philip Spires is now available here
News-ID: 28247 • Views: …
More Releases from Libros International
Expatriate British author publishes short stories about life in Spain
Libros International, a publishing company based in the United Kingdom and Spain, is pleased to announce the publication of Poisoned Petals by Andy Crabb. Poisoned Petals is a set of over forty short stories, tales with a Spanish flavour. Most are set in Spain, with many featuring locations and people from within the Costa Blanca, especially around Denia and Javea, where the author lives, works and continually observes. Some are…
![Libros International publishes Kate Genovese’s book Two Weeks Since My Last Confession](https://cdn.open-pr.com/8/a/8acf12e1cb56daa43d92c4d5ea0f9c70_g.jpg)
Libros International publishes Kate Genovese’s book Two Weeks Since My Last Co …
Libros International is pleased to announce the release of Kate Genovese’s book Two Weeks Since My Last Confession, a saga featuring the O’Brien family from Boston, Massachusetts.
On the face of things, the O’Briens are an upstanding pillar of the community. John O’Brien is a politician, a senator no less, and a respected and long term incumbent to boot. Marie, Mrs. O’Brien, is a devout Catholic with five children. She…
God Works For Me Now by Jacqueline Blakeway is published by Libros International
God Works For Me Now by Jacqueline Blakeway is published by Libros International. It’s a book that describes a marriage breakdown and the spiritual responses of the partners involved.
God Works For Me Now is Jackie Blakeway’s account of the rapid rise and then slow demise of a relationship. Jackie describes how she fell in love with Jai, the name she attaches to her former husband for the purposes of her…
A Bucket of Ashes, a romantic novel by Jill Lanchbery is publised by Libros Inte …
At the heart of A Bucket of Ashes by Jill Lanchbery is an old fashioned love story. Joanna Townsend has it all. She has her own home in a beautiful Sussex village, a successful career as a freelance fashion illustrator, a fourteen year old son who she adores and a gorgeous boyfriend, Tom who wants to marry her.
Sally Akinola, mother of four teenage daughters, thinks she has it all too…
More Releases for Philip
Our Chief Pilot | Philip Goforth
See here: https://rumble.com/vbv521-special-announcement-our-chief-pilot-philip-goforth.html
We are excited to announce that Premier F1 Pilot, Philip Goforth, has Joined Team Möbius as our Chief Pilot!
With more than 15,000 hours of flight under his belt, Phillip is a highly versatile pilot. He has done all types of flying, from Alaskan bush to commercial airline to corporate aviation. He is qualified in a variety of aircraft types and has logged time flying gyrocopters, doing aerobatic performances…
Author Philip Bond Releases New Crime Novel - It's Personal
Author Philip Bond Releases New Crime Novel - It's Personal
Author Philip Bond is pleased to announce the release of his new crime novel, It's Personal. Released by Austin Macauley in September 2019, the book is already receiving rave reviews from readers and reviewers.
Tenacious and methodical in pursuing a story, Harry’s a dismal failure in choosing the ‘right’ man until trailing the scent of corruption leads her to a life-threatening…
Philip Castleton Photography Offers Unmatched Photography Services at Attractive …
Philip Castleton Photography is a photography company founded and owned by Philip Castleton. Philip is a highly-qualified photographer capable of taking dynamic images which are used for marketing presentation, websites, corporate communication, public relations strategy and editorial purposes. What sets them apart is the fact that they can interpret the goals of their clients so as to get the final results that are in line with the clients’ set objectives.
While…
Philip Castleton is the Best Toronto Commercial Photographer
Philip Castleton is a leading commercial photographer, based in Toronto, ON. Philip delivers photographic services for construction professionals, corporations, architects, businesses, real estate, the hospitality sector and interior designers. His photo pieces are often used for marketing presentations, websites, public relations initiatives, editorial and corporate communications purposes. They are highlighted in annual reports and seen in newspapers, offices, exhibitions, magazines and brochures.
Philip Castleton stated, “Working across North America for more…
Brooklyn Lawyer Philip Lights Opens New Office
The Law office of Philip Lights has opened up a new office in popular Downtown Brooklyn. The move has increased business due to the convenience of location.
Brooklyn, NY, October 24, 2012 -- Brooklyn immigration lawyer Philip Lights has opened up his second office in the popular Brooklyn Heights neighborhood at 16 Court Street, suite 2504, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11241. This is the famous SL Green property known as the tallest office…
Brooklyn Lawyer Philip Lights Opens New Office
Brooklyn, New York October 22, 2012 – Brooklyn immigration lawyer Philip Lights has opened up his second office in the popular Brooklyn Heights neighborhood at 16 Court Street, suite 2504, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11241. This is the famous SL Green property known as the tallest office building in Brooklyn. Just blocks from Brooklyn Supreme Court, family court, and criminal court. The office borders on the thriving Metrotech Center, which has such…