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Tambula
TAMBULA: A story of Africa
Three friends. An old VW bus. An adventurous trip to the Mozambique coast. What could possibly go wrong?
Looking for nothing but a good time, on reaching the port city of Lourenco Marques they meet the irresistible and charismatic Kristie.
When it appears she favours married Dek over Benny, sparks fly and old grievances rise to the surface as their friendship flounders.
Third member Nigel, aware he is an unwelcome passenger, has tagged along desperate to be accepted in an era when prejudice towards homosexuals is the norm.
Meanwhile, Dek’s wife, Liz, has travelled to England for a family reunion.
Expecting a quiet cosy Christmas, she finds herself on a journey of self-discovery facing her own ghosts from the past.
On the couple’s return to Tambula, amid festering lies and both harbouring secrets, their marriage begins to crumble.
Can their relationship survive the bitter accusations, or will the consequences of their actions add fuel to an already rocky marriage?
An offbeat story of love, loss and more, set in Tambula; a country where colonial ideals still influence the ways of the new
Three friends. An old VW bus. An adventurous trip to the Mozambique coast. What could possibly go wrong?
Looking for nothing but a good time, on reaching the port city of Lourenco Marques they meet the irresistible and charismatic Kristie.
When it appears she favours married Dek over Benny, sparks fly and old grievances rise to the surface as their friendship flounders.
Third member Nigel, aware he is an unwelcome passenger, has tagged along desperate to be accepted in an era when prejudice towards homosexuals is the norm.
Meanwhile, Dek’s wife, Liz, has travelled to England for a family reunion.
Expecting a quiet cosy Christmas, she finds herself on a journey of self-discovery facing her own ghosts from the past.
On the couple’s return to Tambula, amid festering lies and both harbouring secrets, their marriage begins to crumble.
Can their relationship survive the bitter accusations, or will the consequences of their actions add fuel to an already rocky marriage?
An offbeat story of love, loss and more, set in Tambula; a country where colonial ideals still influence the ways of the new
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Published January 1, 2019
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wüthrich
5 books14 followersRaised in the United Kingdom, after spending twenty-five years in South Africa, she now lives in a picturesque village in Switzerland; an idyllic setting in which to pursue her passion.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 27, 2020
I'm really enjoying books at the moment that are set in different countries and this one is fascinating with its African setting.
The story centres around a collection of interesting characters on a road trip in a campervan whilst one of the character's (Dek's) wife and son go back to England to visit family. There is humour, sadness and some intrigue in this well-written story and it kept me turning the pages.
Set in the 70s, the world-building and the descriptions of the scenery are well done and bring the story to life. I also liked how there were a lot of characters in the book, rather than just a couple.
An enjoyable and interesting light read.
The story centres around a collection of interesting characters on a road trip in a campervan whilst one of the character's (Dek's) wife and son go back to England to visit family. There is humour, sadness and some intrigue in this well-written story and it kept me turning the pages.
Set in the 70s, the world-building and the descriptions of the scenery are well done and bring the story to life. I also liked how there were a lot of characters in the book, rather than just a couple.
An enjoyable and interesting light read.
February 12, 2019
Review for Readers' Favorite.
Tambula is the name of an African country created by author Susan Wuthrich. The story, based on real events, begins with a road trip down to Mozambique. Dek and his friend Benny, who drags along a reluctant Nigel, set off on holiday at the same time that Dek’s wife and his young son fly home to England to visit family. The VW campervan breaks down twice on the way and Dek is caught by the police at the Mozambique border without a valid driving licence. Things go from bad to worse as Dek steps in and flirts with the attractive bar owner that Benny fancies while Nigel disappears with his new boyfriend. After several horrific events Benny takes off for Johannesburg with new friends leaving Dek to return home alone to false accusations made by a local neighbour and his vehicle finally giving up the ghost. Life gets tougher for Dek as he is swept into a circle of friends who live on the wealthy side of town, but his new acquaintances are not what they seem and help to get him into further trouble. To complete his despair, he discovers the secret that his wife Liz has been keeping from him from before they were married.
I love books set in Africa and I was thrilled to choose Tambula by Susan Wuthrich. The story was entertaining, the words flowed smoothly and it was well edited and free from errors. Mention of many things throughout the book show that the author is familiar with Africa, and I’d recommend this as a trip down memory lane for other expatriates. The scenes are evocative of the area, and I loved the characters, especially Dek, who is so well drawn he leaps off the page. Not that I liked him, even a little bit, he makes one stupid decision after another and is his own worst enemy. The story line kept me turning the pages and I found the book hard to put down. It deserves all of the 5 stars I have given it.
Tambula is the name of an African country created by author Susan Wuthrich. The story, based on real events, begins with a road trip down to Mozambique. Dek and his friend Benny, who drags along a reluctant Nigel, set off on holiday at the same time that Dek’s wife and his young son fly home to England to visit family. The VW campervan breaks down twice on the way and Dek is caught by the police at the Mozambique border without a valid driving licence. Things go from bad to worse as Dek steps in and flirts with the attractive bar owner that Benny fancies while Nigel disappears with his new boyfriend. After several horrific events Benny takes off for Johannesburg with new friends leaving Dek to return home alone to false accusations made by a local neighbour and his vehicle finally giving up the ghost. Life gets tougher for Dek as he is swept into a circle of friends who live on the wealthy side of town, but his new acquaintances are not what they seem and help to get him into further trouble. To complete his despair, he discovers the secret that his wife Liz has been keeping from him from before they were married.
I love books set in Africa and I was thrilled to choose Tambula by Susan Wuthrich. The story was entertaining, the words flowed smoothly and it was well edited and free from errors. Mention of many things throughout the book show that the author is familiar with Africa, and I’d recommend this as a trip down memory lane for other expatriates. The scenes are evocative of the area, and I loved the characters, especially Dek, who is so well drawn he leaps off the page. Not that I liked him, even a little bit, he makes one stupid decision after another and is his own worst enemy. The story line kept me turning the pages and I found the book hard to put down. It deserves all of the 5 stars I have given it.
May 8, 2019
An easy read that keeps you turning the pages. I found the pace of life in a part of Africa with the expat community fascinating. Relationships are all over the place with the emotional ups and downs that coincide with the mixed up characters. There are a few likeable characters and some not so which adds to the story. The main characters Liz and Dek are separated over Christmas 1970 while Dek goes on a road trip with two friends and Liz returns to England to see family. Relationships become strained on the road trip as Dek and Benny vie for the same girl and Nigel finds love. Liz has the harder part, travelling with a small child and being coerced into conforming to family expectations. When all are back in Tambula, problems persist and relationships are strained. The book ends as expected. All in all, a pleasant read with the African backdrop, adding an interesting element to the story.
March 7, 2019
A page turner of a tale set in Africa of fifty years ago with a great cast of characters.
When I started reading this book, I checked Google Maps to find that Tambula, the African country where this novel is set, is located in the area of Swaziland, or Eswatini as it’s known since 2018. The story is set around Christmas 1970 with the capital of Mozambique referred to as Lourenco Marques, re-named Maputo following independence in 1975. Then Derek, one of the main characters mentions wanting “to go to Woodstock last year.”
It opens with the story of three friends, Derek, Benny and Nigel, on a snorkelling trip in an old Volkswagen camper van to the Mozambique coast, while Derek’s wife Liz is heading home to her family in Wolverhampton for Christmas. Looking for a good time, the boys hit the coast at Lourenco Marques, where Nigel, who is gay when it was dangerous to be so, meets Phillipe, and Derek and Benny meet a number of girls, including the lovely Kristie. When she seems to favour Derek over Benny, their friendship begins to fray and old grievances surface. Meanwhile, Liz, who had been expecting a cosy family reunion over Christmas, finds her past confronting her. When Liz and Derek return to Tambula, followed by events experienced while they were apart, their marriage begins to fall apart. As they struggle save their relationship, other stories run in parallel, introducing a cast of characters that one only finds in colonial ex-pat communities. The atmosphere is beautifully described and the momentum maintained to make a gentle story of love and loss in a time and a country that has long slipped away with the passing of the last fifty years.
When I started reading this book, I checked Google Maps to find that Tambula, the African country where this novel is set, is located in the area of Swaziland, or Eswatini as it’s known since 2018. The story is set around Christmas 1970 with the capital of Mozambique referred to as Lourenco Marques, re-named Maputo following independence in 1975. Then Derek, one of the main characters mentions wanting “to go to Woodstock last year.”
It opens with the story of three friends, Derek, Benny and Nigel, on a snorkelling trip in an old Volkswagen camper van to the Mozambique coast, while Derek’s wife Liz is heading home to her family in Wolverhampton for Christmas. Looking for a good time, the boys hit the coast at Lourenco Marques, where Nigel, who is gay when it was dangerous to be so, meets Phillipe, and Derek and Benny meet a number of girls, including the lovely Kristie. When she seems to favour Derek over Benny, their friendship begins to fray and old grievances surface. Meanwhile, Liz, who had been expecting a cosy family reunion over Christmas, finds her past confronting her. When Liz and Derek return to Tambula, followed by events experienced while they were apart, their marriage begins to fall apart. As they struggle save their relationship, other stories run in parallel, introducing a cast of characters that one only finds in colonial ex-pat communities. The atmosphere is beautifully described and the momentum maintained to make a gentle story of love and loss in a time and a country that has long slipped away with the passing of the last fifty years.
June 20, 2019
This book is set in the early seventies which had me scratching my head as I recognised some of the places but not others. Tambula is a fictional country but a reviewer kindly pointed out it would be located in what is these days known as Eswatini and before 2018 as Swaziland. Also the Capital of Mozambique is these days known as Maputo. Maybe the writer could add some info about the locations used before the first part to set the scene. It doesn’t detract however from the touching story of a young couple in 1970’s Africa. What I liked was the fact that Liz and Dek are a very ordinary couple with a young son that are just struggling to make ends meet. This sets them apart from the other expats around them that are rich and their lives revolve around the club. The story of this couple and their unravelling marriage could have been set anywhere, but setting it in Africa adds another dimension and adds a few interesting subplots that test this couple to breaking point.
Well written and kept me interested to the last page.
Well written and kept me interested to the last page.
February 15, 2019
3.25 stars
An offbeat story of love, loss and more, set in Tambula; a country where colonial ideals still influence the ways of the new.
This story was interesting enough. Other than once, around the 60-70% mark when I was tempted to start skipping pages, the story kept me reading till the end.
There are a number of characters to keep up with, and I can't really say whose story it is, although I guess ultimately it's Deks.
The ending might come as a surprise to a few, but I think that's a good thing.
Copy obtain via the read now section on NetGalley
An offbeat story of love, loss and more, set in Tambula; a country where colonial ideals still influence the ways of the new.
This story was interesting enough. Other than once, around the 60-70% mark when I was tempted to start skipping pages, the story kept me reading till the end.
There are a number of characters to keep up with, and I can't really say whose story it is, although I guess ultimately it's Deks.
The ending might come as a surprise to a few, but I think that's a good thing.
Copy obtain via the read now section on NetGalley
June 17, 2020
A fascinating tale set fifty years ago - in the 1970's in Africa - I think that makes this historical fiction, but it's weird to think of my childhood as a part of history (showing my age). I'm just going to refer to it as a dramatic read. There's plenty of emotions and intrigue to go around and keep the pages turning
An enjoyable well-crafted tale
An enjoyable well-crafted tale
March 1, 2019
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A trip to Mozambique with old friends in a VW bus brings many feelings to the surface for Dek, Benny, Nigel, and Liz. How this trip affects each person is at the root of this sensitively written book.
A trip to Mozambique with old friends in a VW bus brings many feelings to the surface for Dek, Benny, Nigel, and Liz. How this trip affects each person is at the root of this sensitively written book.
March 16, 2019
Faraway places in an era long gone. A very enjoyable read.
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February 21, 2019Netgalley
pub date Jan 1, 2019
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pub date Jan 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews