Xamon Song

by Adam E. Stone

Literary fiction with a human rights focus! Mike and Eddie are two young soldiers from the nation of Carbonia, lifelong best friends and frustrated musicians who find themselves half a world away from home, conducting reconnaissance patrols deep in the forests of a tiny country called Xamon. They are increasingly disillusioned, afraid their military service is no longer to the people of Carbonia, but to the profit statements of SangreDenar, a corporation from Carbonia with large logging interests in Xamon. Digna Giraldo Cardona is a human rights activist from Xamon City who is drawn to the forests to investigate persistent rumors of human rights abuses by paramilitary mercenaries linked to SangreDenar. Digna is determined to see for herself what is happening in the most remote, and dangerous, part of her country. This is the world of Xamon Song, a view from the ground of the meeting of cultures, of the human costs of corporate malfeasance and governmental collusion.

Paperback

Published February 1, 2006

Reviews

[Wayne Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nineteen year old Eddie, who tells the story, and his lifelong best friend Mike are frustrated musicians from the city of Nyala in the nation of Carbonia who need something to do so they join the Carbonian Air Corps. They are sent to the tiny nation of Xamon half way around the world to help the Xamon army protect the timber operations of SangreDenar, a corporation of Carbonia, from rebels of an indigenous tribe known as the Saradita. Added to the mix are rumors of shadowy paramilitaries hired by SangreDenar who are committing genocide against the Saradita.

While conducting a reconnaissance patrol deep in the forests of Xamon, Eddie and Mike hear some shots being fired and come across a young human rights activist from Xamon City named Digna Giraldo Cardona who is running away from the remote village of Ochoa where she claims a paramilitary group has captured all the people along with two of her fellow workers. The two soldiers agree to accompany her back there. What will they see? And how will it affect their thinking towards what they are doing? This book will readily appeal to conspiracy theorists, human rights advocates, and environmentalists. I am not so naïve as to think that the kinds of goings on described in Xamon Song never happen in this world, but I personally doubt if they are as common as the conspiracy theorists, human rights advocates, and environmentalists often claim.

Aside from a couple of common euphemisms and childish slang terms (heck, “sat on my butt”), there are some references to foul language and cursing, but no actual foul language or curse words are used. There are no chapter divisions in the 148-page book. It is a story with one continuous seam. If a person likes this kind of plot, it is written in an interesting way, using a homey, almost folksy, narration style such as a might be characteristic of a modern nineteen year old young man, that will keep one’s attention. Whether one agrees with all the assumptions underlying the novel, everyone can agree with Digna’s observation that “all people matter.” Author Adam E. Stone is a writer, attorney, and human rights activist. Xamon Song is Mr. Stone’s first novel.

[Marji · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the voice, and the open possibilities at the ending, which made the ending upbeat but realistic not sentimental. There were probably intertextual strands going on that I missed as I haven't read many soldier narratives.