No Turning Back

by Roger Rees

'No Turning Back' is a story of courage and resilience. Young Australian anthropologist Louise Davitt embarks on an Ethiopian field trip and tries to implement change in the lives of African women. Living with some of the world’s poorest people, she is immersed in their culture. In her adventurous, passionate and unconventional way, she pursues independence which leads her to life-changing situations – often thrilling, sometimes dangerous. A love triangle threatens trauma, illness and loss.
The story is set against actual political, cultural and historical events. Stretching from the great Ethiopian famine of 1984-85 to the present day, No Turning Back takes readers on a walk with the Hamar tribe, to rural Australia, the UK and to a poignant time in the US.
Louise’s son says of his mother: 'Mum has great faith in people. For her, life is only dark if we make it so.' Yet she is not a hero – just one who copes with life’s wounds, including HIV. Her personal grief turns to celebration as she taps the resilience learned from her grandmother and from the magical time spent with women of Ethiopia’s nomadic Hamar tribe. She turns a setback into a challenge to rebuild her life and the lives of others.

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jeremy Epstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main criticism is that the writing style is a bit dry, and the characters sometimes feel contrived and shallow - I think this is a reflection of the author's lifetime of academic / scientific writing, and his being new to fiction. But, nonetheless, the book gives a wonderful panorama of Ethiopia, a country that I previously knew nothing about. In particular, the account of the Hamar tribe is fascinating, and Rees's on-the-ground research is evident. The narrative on AIDS is heart-wrenching and informative.

[Kim Parish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I nearly gave up on this book in frustration of the stilted conversation and excessive detail that detracted from free flow reading. However I persevered and completed the book with a much more positive frame. The novel had a good story line and provided an interesting insight into Ethiopia and its challenges. It is a shame that Rees wasn’t guided into the transfer of writing from academic to novelist

[Lisa]

I think it might appeal to people interested in adventure stories, but I just couldn't get interested in this one.