White Lightning

This is a lovely book. One becomes totally absorbed into the narrator's life - his hopes, his disappointments and trials, his windfalls and his loses. It is beautifully told and finally satisfying - really a brilliant book!

This is the first Justin Cartwright novel I have read but definitely not the last. This book deals with our narrarator James and his life in England and South Africa. I have never read a novel quite like this before. It is so richly written with such attention to description that I was fully absorbed in it. James is a small time film maker who was born in South Africa but is raised in England. When he find out his son has died at a young age he begins to review his life. His mother is sick and dying at home in South Africa and he goes to be with her. While there he discovers the country he still loves and uses its natural beauty to help heal him. Of course nothing goes smoothly for James. Even his relationship with his pet baboon Piet is oddly compelling. I won't give any more away because quite frankly its too odd to tell you and then you would never want to read this book. Read it you should however! I loved it fully and completely.