One of the most spectacular stories ever written…

 

 

‘Behind the Eclipse. The Unheard from the West African Ebola Crisis…’ by Pramudith D. Rupasinghe. Partridge India, 2016.

The novel under review, ‘Behind the Eclipse. The Unheard from the West African Ebola Crisis…’, is another Pramudith D. Rupasinghe’ book on eternal philosophical issues of life and death, and a place of a person in the world, this time through the prism of Ebola epidemic in Liberia.

The novel is based on a real-life story of a Liberian man who caught Ebola disease but managed to survive. The story, told on the survivor’s behalf, is presented in the usual author’s style combining elegance, outer simplicity and internal depth of thought with masterly carved words and phrases.

The book is really fascinating: once started, it’s almost impossible to interrupt the reading until you reach the last page.

The astounding author’s competence of West Africa allows him to depict Ebola-related tragedy against a broad historical and geographical background. The book amazes a reader with an unbelievably deep knowledge and understanding of the Liberian history, geography, its people mentality, culture, traditions, etc. The truthfulness of the picture of the every day’s Liberian life is deepened even by some ‘politically incorrect’ statements of the characters. It is the West African colouring that helps a reader better understand the main essence of the book (skillfully placed at the very end): ‘…the life is a battle which one has to fight even when in the jaws of defeat…’

The novel “Behind the Eclipse…’ is a brilliant book which can be strongly recommended for all those who want to start understanding Africa and its people.

 

 

Dr. Oleksiy Telychkin

Kharkov National University

UN Senior Police Advisor (Rtd.); Colonel of Police (Rtd.)
Ukraine