Out of Darkness, Shining Light

by Petina Gappah

“This is how we carried out of Africa the poor broken body of Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, David Livingstone, so that he could be borne across the sea and buried in his own land.” So begins Petina Gappah's powerful novel of exploration and adventure in nineteenth-century Africa—the captivating story of the loyal men and women who carried explorer and missionary Dr. Livingstone's body, his papers and maps, fifteen hundred miles across the continent of Africa, so his remains could be returned home to England and his work preserved there. Narrated by Halima, the doctor's sharp-tongued cook, and Jacob Wainwright, a rigidly pious freed slave, this is a story that encompasses all of the hypocrisy of slavery and colonization—the hypocrisy at the core of the human heart—while celebrating resilience, loyalty, and love.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Africa, Zimbabwe, Historical, Book Club, African Literature

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

Petina Gappah is a Zimbabwean writer with law degrees from Cambridge, Graz University, and the University of Zimbabwe. Her short fiction and essays have been published in eight countries. She lives with her son Kush in Geneva, where she works as counsel in an international organisation that provides legal aid on international trade law to developing countries.

Reviews

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...all I want is to go somewhere no one has ever been, and gaze at the sky and look for miles around to see nothing but trees and hear nothing but birds."

David Livingstone was a Scottish physician, missionary and explorer who was determined to learn the source of the Nile River. He also hoped to use his influence to stop the east African Arab Swahili slave trade. He died in Africa in 1873 from Malaria and Dysentery. His heart was buried under a tree where he died and his remains (and his journal) were carried over 1.000 miles where they could be returned to Britain where he was interred at Westminster Abbey.

"Whoever heard of a party of people marching across a strange land with a dead body?"

But they did just that. This book is told in time before David Livingstone's death and after, when a group of his loyal servants mummified his body and carried it over 1,000 miles so that it could be returned to his homeland. They did not need to do this. They choose to do so. The journey reportedly took nine months. Were they hoping for a reward? Were they dedicated? Were they doing the right thing? Were they doing what he would have done for them? The answers are in this book!

I really enjoy reading books based on real events and real people. The Author did a tremendous amount of research prior to writing this book. In the Acknowledgements section she notes her conducted ten years of research but notes that although this book is rooted in historical fact, she used her imagination even referring to her book as imaginative fiction. She gives voice to many of the characters including Halima, Susi, Chuma to name a few.

I enjoyed this book. It is not a fast read - which is not a bad thing. I found that I could not sit down and totally absorb myself in this book all at once. What worked was reading this book in stretches. Although I had heard of David Livingstone, I did not know very much about him. I learned a fair amount in this book, but keep in mind, this book is about the journey. About those such as his Cook Halima and his loyal servants who made the journey. What started out as a journey to return a man's body became a personal journey for everyone carrying his body.

What is it like to walk about 1,000 miles? What is it like to carry a body, concealed to keep the identity and the body, a secret? What personal and physical struggles must they have endured? David Livingstone was famous, considered a hero, but what his loyal servants showed was true devotion, courage, heroism, and strength. They got not only his body but his journals home, without those journals, would David Livingstone be as known as he is now?

Enjoyable, educational, thought provoking and imaginative.

"We came to a grave in the forest...This is the sort of grave I should prefer: to lie in the still, still forest, and no hand ever disturb my bones." -David Livingstone, The Last Journals of David Livingstone

I received a copy of this book from the Publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Brought by faithful hands over land and sea here rests David Livingstone, missionary traveler, philanthropist, born March 19, 1813, at Blantyre, Lanarkshire, died May 1, 1873, at Chitambo’s Village, Ulala.” Plaque on the grave of Livingstone’s babes, Westminster Abbey, England.

His bones lie there in his homeland, even though he died in Africa because he was esteemed and loved. I can’t say that I knew very much about Dr. David Livingstone. Certainly I knew some basics. He was a medical doctor, an explorer, a missionary with the desire to find the source of the Nile. Of course, it was impossible not to have heard , “Dr. Livingstone, I presume”, when found by a reporter named Stanley. To his loyal servants in Africa, he was so much more, this Bwana Daudi. Why else would they carry his remains for 1000 miles, for many, many days so he could be buried in his homeland. A beautiful tribute to the man who bought some of them out of slavery. This is not just about Livingstone, though. Its about these people, their lives of hardship, their story of slavery.

Narrated by Halima, his feisty cook, who has endured much in her life, and Jacob Wainwright, the straight laced freed slave who aspires to be a missionary, the story is moving and enlightening. Moving in that it tells a story of the respect, high esteem and love that the people around Livingstone had for him and about the man that he was. For me enlightening, not just to learn more about Livingstone, but about this time and place , Africa in 1873. Chapters begin with excerpts from Livingstone’s writings, mainly The Last Journal of David Livingstone. We get a feel for the man that these people respect and love, his sense of adventure, his anti-slavery views, and his genuine caring for the people around him. A few chapters begin with excerpts from the writing of Stanley and from Wainwright’s journal. It is impeccably researched and provided a story that I was not really familiar with - one of the things I enjoy most about historical fiction. It felt a little slow at times, but then, walking 1,000 miles is by its nature slow, so rounded up to 4 stars.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Scribner through Edelweiss.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scottish explorer and medical missionary, David Livingstone, relentlessly searched for the source of the Nile, the world's longest river. In the final two years of his life, he still had "Nile madness". In the opinion of Livingstone's acerbic cook Halima, the Nile had been there since time began. The river would continue to flow whether the source was found or not. Halima's advice, "...go home to your children, find a wife 'to warm your bed'." Livingstone refused to return to England despite becoming ill and frail. He died in 1873 in what is present day Zambia. How is Livingstone to be interred?

"He will not rest easy...those who are buried away from home walk abroad...they know no rest...". "He must be buried in the way of his faith...He must...be buried on ground that is consecrated...we cannot bury him here." Halima's suggestion: "We will smoke him...dry him in the sun...He would be light enough to carry then...we bury his heart here and carry his bones to his own land." In the handwritten diaries of Jacob Wainwright, a former slave, Wainwright documents the burial of Livingstone's heart and innards at the base of a Myula tree. Sixty-nine men, women and children decide that Livingstone's body, encased in a cylinder of bark, covered in sailcloth and weather-proofed with tar, must be carried on poles by a rotation of two men, along with his writings and maps. They embark, on foot, taking a perilous journey of over 1,000 miles, from Zambia to Zanzibar, to ultimately repatriate his remains.

The journey of Livingstone's body to its final resting place is told by two principals, Halima, his cook and Jacob Wainwright, as his documentarian. "Out of Darkness, Shining Light" by Petina Gappah brings to light many issues existing in 19th Century Africa. Halima says,"I know but little about the world...but there is nothing you can tell me about how slaves are passed on and how they are freed." Jacob Wainwright, a freed slave, wants to became an ordained priest and "convert the masses" to Christianity. What will be the ripple effect of Livingstone's discoveries if his writings and maps reach England? Author Gappah has thoroughly researched and presented a historical fiction masterpiece I highly recommend.

Thank you Scribner and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Out of Darkness, Shining Light".

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded down
Another book where I’m in the minority. This is the story of David Livingstone, both his life and death while searching for the origin of the Nile. Told to us by Halima, his “sharp tongued” cook, and Jacob Wainwright, a freed slave turned Christian convert, we get two vividly contrasting stories. But both stories capture not only the unique relationship between Bwana Daudi and the blacks that were on his expedition, but also the relationship between the English and the Africans. I especially appreciated Halima trying to understand the Christian religion, as Livingstone tried to convert various people. Jacob, on the other hand, comes across as the typical religious zealot finding fault with everyone.

This is not a fast moving story. In fact, I found it slow as molasses. Described as being about the trip to take his body back to the coast so it can be returned to England, half the book is gone before the trip even begins.

Gappah does an admirable job of giving us a great sense of time and place. Her research shines through. But it was just too dense and slow for my taste.

My thanks to netgalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book.

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patience and persistence are essential to sinking into this book. It lacks the compulsive qualities of Gappah's 2016 Women's Prize nominee, The Book of Memory, but it does demonstrate the same acuity of narrative voice. In terms of craft, this seemed like a possible contendor for the 2020 Women's Prize; however, now that the judges have specified what they were looking for, it's clear this book lacks the contemporary traits needed for a 2020 nomination. Ultimately, Out of Darkness, Shining Light is worth pioneering for its glimmers of droll humor and for the authenticity of its two distinct narrative voices.

The men took time to talk over the parts of [Bwana Daudi] that hung outside, with no bone to attach them to him. They did not think I heard them, but oh, the trouble they took to decide what to do with those, the frowning consultations, the whispering back and forth. You would think that was the most important part of a man, to hear them talk. And, of course, they did not want the women to know what they were talking about.

I soon cut through the agonized whispering.

"Whether you cut those parts off now, or wait for them to dry and fall off or shrink into him, they will have to come off him, as sure is sure," I said. "It is going to happen, any way you look at it. You may as well slice them off now, bury them with the rest, and have done with it."

They looked at me with barely disguised horror.

"If you give me Farjallah's knife," I said, "I will slice them off myself, yes I will. I have dismembered a goat or two in my time, yes, I have, and quickly too. There was a he-goat once at Liwali's -"

"Halima," Amoda said.

I took one look at his face and hurried. I spent the rest of that afternoon working with the women far from the men. So, I do not know what they decided to do with those parts, but what I do know is that there was some more digging around the mvula tree, and this time at night. The women and I laughed like anything, to think of the men gathering solemnly in the night to bury the things that made Bwana Daudi a man.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m rather torn about this review because, while the idea of transporting Dr. David Livingstone’s body home to England is interesting, I didn’t enjoy the book very much. Maybe it just didn’t meet my expectation that this would be more of an adventure story. Livingstone was obsessed with finding the source of the Nile. This book deals with the last few months of his life, when he was sick, and the subsequent trek across Africa that was undertaken by his servants in order to return his body (or at least part of it) and his research papers to England. En route, there was a lot of bickering, threats from men and animals, romantic liaisons, jealousy, hunger and deaths. The story is divided into sections from the points of view of Livingstone’s cook Halima and Jacob Wainwright, a freed slave who had been educated in India.

I have no idea how much of this story is accurate, but it certainly felt like the author did a lot of research and she shared all of it. There were too many names of people, tribes, regions and titles and many of them had multiple names. I couldn’t keep track of it all: “...the four most fearsome traders, who are Casembe, Mirambo, Kumbakumba, and Tippoo Tip.” But it turns out that “Casembe” is a title not a name. There is also another warrior group called the Mazitu, but they are also called Maviti, Madzviti, Matuta or Watuta. I don’t know the reason for telling me all of this, other than to cause maximum confusion. In a history book, I’d accept it, but in fiction - no. You don’t need to tell me about every bit of research you’ve done.

The Halima part of the book felt like a children’s story. The book picked up for me in the second part, narrated by the smug, self righteous, fanatically Christian Jacob. I didn’t hate or love the book. 3.5 stars which I have rounded up for the glimpse into Africa in the 1870s.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel that initially requires faith (not religious faith) and perseverance. I have wanted to read this account of David Livingstone for a while as I knew little about him. But the abundance of African names and terms and the frivolous banter of Livingstone's cook really had me doubting whether this was the D.L. book for me. Thankfully, the novel became increasingly interesting and by the end, it was very good.

The story of Livingstone's life is told by two narrators as they travel with an entourage carrying D.L.'s remains to the coast. From there his bones will be transported back to England where he will buried. Hamila, the doctor's perceptive and often funny cook and Jacob Wainwright, D.L.'s pompous and zealot secretary detail much about the 1500 mile trek and the man they had served; entries from Livingstone's journal are also included. Much is revealed: the horrors of the rampant slave trade, the incidences of D.L.'s duplicity as he pursued his "Nile madness" and the insufferable attitude of those Europeans who believed they were bringing this continent and its unenlightened natives out of darkness and into the shining light of knowledge and Christianity.

Petina Gappah's characters and the trek are based on ten years of research. Through these marginalized people we hear a version unlike any found in history books. They witnessed the beginnings of African colonization never imagining the subjugation that was coming. I highly recommend this powerful novel.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great companion read for River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard

The fascinating story of the expedition to carry David Livingstone's body to the sea so he could be buried at Westminster Abbey in England. The plaque on his grave says, "Brought by faithful hands over land and sea here rests David Livingstone, missionary traveller, philanthropist, born March 19, 1813, at Blantyre, Lanarkshire, died May 1, 1873, at Chitambo's Village, Ulala."
Gappah in her Acknowledgements indicates that she spent almost twenty years writing this book. Her research shines as we find ourselves immersed in the journey to the sea. We view life with the Livingstone and the labor of love through two lenses. Halima, the cook, gives us the native view and her perspective is full of Swahili references (glossary included in the back of the book) and peppered with humor. Jacob Wainwright is the earnest servant who delivers his story to the accompaniment of "Pilgrim's Progress." The two rarely agree, but the narrative is all the richer due to their contributions. This new novel is a memorable and inspiring tale that you will not soon forget.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

An excellent historical novel that focuses on the men and women who, carrying David Livingstone’s body, marched 1500 miles across central Africa to the coast so that his remains could be returned to England. It casts a sharp eye on slavery and colonization while telling a story filled with love, loyalty, revenge and murder.

One of two narrators, Halima, Livingstone’s female cook:

I tell you, to think that there were simply thousands and thousands of people like the Bwana, and women too, far away in England, and in America too, doing what they did, and not knowing at all about the things we did... It made in feel small and shriveled, I tell you, like a raisin on the Liwali’s drying roof, to hear about all these people in all those lands not knowing we were there.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

on the 4 side of a 3.7

Without wasting time, the author reveals right out of the gate what we are about to read:

"This is how we carried out of Africa the poor broken body of Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, David Livingstone, so that he could be borne across the sea and buried in his own land."

As our narrator reveals, this is a story that "has been told many times before, but always as the story of the Doctor." This time around, however, those whose voices have not been heard have their say about their roles in Dr. Livingstone's "last journey" from Chitambo to Bagamoyo, a place whose "very name means to lay to rest the burden of your heart." It was a journey of over 1500 miles and 285 days, as revealed via two narratives: first that of Halima, Livingstone's cook, followed by an account kept in a diary by Jacob Wainwright, a freed slave who had been taken in and educated by missionaries early in his life.

As we are told before the first chapter even begins,

"On the long and perilous journey to bring him home, ten of our party lost their lives. There are no stones to mark the places where they rest, no epitaphs to announce their deaths. And when we who remain follow where they led, no pilgrims will come to show their children where we lie. But out of that great and troubling darkness came shining light. Our sacrifice burnished the glory of his life."

Overall, with just a few complaints from me, it is a fine novel, and some of the comparisons to Laila Lalami's The Moor's Account made by readers is not too far off the mark here (although I liked Out of Darkness Shining Light more), as her book also put the voices of those who followed in the shadows of more famous historical figures front and center. I love this sort of thing, really, when done well. Halima's account begins prior to Livingstone's death at Chitambo and ended all too soon for this reader; Wainwright's rather stifled, pious journal entries purposefully read like Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, as he intends his diary for future publication. Both, however, reveal that outside of the singular cause of delivering Livingstone's remains to the coast, within the group there were conflicts based on ethnic and religious divisions, jealousies, and much more. The members of the caravan also faced hardships including disease, hunger, superstition from outsiders, fear of being captured by slavers and other horrors. Throughout the book there are also ongoing questions about Livingstone's own relationship with slavery, and colonialism is put under the microscope here. Wainwright's account of himself, his worldview, and his desire to be ordained in order to save his fellow Africans stands out as just one example, and his self-serving narrative is often giggleworthy and eyebrow raising as we see him sometimes justifying what he does through the filter of his Christian beliefs.

Once I picked it up, that was it; any moment away from this book was spent thinking how quickly I could get back to it. This novel was on the list of my own ten most anticipated books for the remainder of 2019 and I was not at all disappointed. Recommended mainly for readers of historical fiction done well. There's so much bad historical fiction out there, so it was a pleasure to read something so well researched and well written.

btw: if anyone in the US would like my copy, I'm not keeping it, so it's yours for free.

[Kathryn in FL · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this story. The employees (servants) of Dr. David Livingston find him dead after a long battle with an unnamed illness (an internet search states malaria) at age 60. He was a doctor, missionary and explorer extraordinaire. He was searching for "four fountains of the Nile River". This would have been fascinating, unfortunately that was not a focus in the story. Knowing that the story would begin at his end. I was intrigued to learn more about the task of carrying a beloved leader to a ship that would carry him back to Scotland, in the first 60 pages not one step in that direction happened either. Frustrated with the narration by his cook, Halima, which provides a history of the camp that rambled for 100 pages. I skipped ahead to the next portion narrated by another African man, who had been trained in the ways of the civilized English, named Jacob Wainwright, he was obnoxious and full of pride and arrogance. Both were based on this author's imagination, based on the mention of Halima in Dr. Livingston. Not having read any of Livingstone's published works, I can't speak on authority of their contents. Unfortunately, his diaries were not mentioned beyond a sentence or two.

These unlikable characters may be entertaining to other readers but I found them both to be full of self-importance and boastful. Their understandings seemed somewhat limited based on overhearing his conversations with other tribes and adventurers. Meanwhile, the story seemed to sputter along with those insights among those who were his employees (he bought some from Arab slave trader's that controlled Central Africa), he paid them wages and promised them additional gifts and freedom upon completion of their work as safari support personnel.

This book was so much speculation, which is what fiction of course is all about. I had anticipated a story that was much more foundational and based on a more historical account than what was presented an erroneous assumption on my part.

The author is definitely talented and deserves to be appreciated by someone who doesn't mind some fanciful imagination in story telling.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Out of Darkness, Shining Light" tells the story of how dozens of loyal men and women "carried out of Africa the poor broken body of Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, David Livingstone, so that he could be borne across the sea and buried in his own land." The novel describes exploration, adventure and love as the caravan traveled 1500 miles. It also touches on racism, cultural differences and family dynamics.
I appreciate author Petina Gappah's hard work and research. Unfortunately, I was expecting an engaging story. Instead, this novel includes dozens of characters who are hard to keep straight. The author also writes in more of a journal entry style rather than a chronological novel, and I felt like I was reading research notes rather than a true novel.
This book might be useful for researchers or others who are interested in Dr. Livingstone, African culture, anthropology, or race relations. It's not a book casual readers will appreciate, in my opinion.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story , and is a fictional retelling of the amazing trek made by David Livingston’s African servants focuses on two people, one of whom is fictional. The main characters are Halima (fictional) and Jacob Wainwright. Halima is cheerful and sees much to amuse her in the people around her, and cooks for the group. In the narrative, she’s actually instrumental in convincing Livingston’s servants to make the arduous trek to surrender the Englishman's bones to the English authorities.
The other POV is Jacob Wainwright, who was actually employed by Livingston. Jacob was a slave, but bought and freed, and educated in India, before being employed by Livingston.
Halima and Jacob are such a contrast. Halima’s narration opens the book, and she comes across as bright, insightful, and realistic about the people who make up the party. Jacob is deeply religious, and looks forward to being ordained so he can proselytize to his fellow Africans. Much of his narration is concerned with his religious musings and plans, and his derision and intolerance for the behaviour of his fellow travellers through the jungle.
The narrative unspools slowly, and the wonderful writing is full of humour and irony; it’s hard to hear of the future hopes of the main characters and their fellows, knowing that there soon will be countless missionaries traipsing through Africa, harming and deriding as they go, thanks to Livingston’s writings and of what Jacob relates to the English of Africa once he makes it to England.
The bulk of the story relates the difficult journey, and picks up the story some years afterwards. The story gives voice to the people who took it upon themselves to travel the long distance through different tribes' territories and difficult terrain. I really enjoyed this, and loved the skillful weaving of actual historical fact with what the author imagined occurred amongst the dedicated people Livingston employed.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I worry that I am too stingy with 5 star reviews. I'll read something and think it's great, but not quite 5 stars for me.

Then I read a book like this. The books I save my 5 stars for, so that my 5 stars really mean something. This book is fantastic. I learned about Livingtone and his expeditions, something I didn't really know about previously. The Poisonwood Bible is one of my favorite books, and similarly, this book took us into the intricacies of Africa in the face of colonization. I also appreciated the insight into the slave trade in Africa, during a period of time when it was being outlawed in the UK, and the dynamics of how the slave trade worked. This book touches on a ton of important history in a way that is deft, nuanced, and sympathetic. I felt like it truly captured some of the moral ambiguities of religion, colonization and the slave trade.

The author is also excellent at writing from two points of view and capturing very different and essential characters. It honestly felt like I was hearing from two real people who had vastly different life experiences. I liked Halima more than Jacob, but found them both to be sympathetic in their ways. Writing from both of their points of view really allowed the reader to see things from two perspectives without feeling pushed or forced into one viewpoint over the other. The characters feel rich and fully developed, the story complete and compelling.

Mostly, this book felt important. It covers a lot of important aspects of history and spends a lot of time in the moral gray area, allowing the reader to experience a slice of history from many perspectives without having any lessons crammed down our throats. Instead, it felt easy to see how the difficulties of life and life experiences can sway people to make decisions that don't feel purely right or wrong, when those decisions look more black and white from a more detached perspective. Would highly recommend.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is how we carried out of Africa the poor broken body of Bwana Duadi, the Doctor, David Livingstone, so that he could be borne across the sear and buried in his own land."~ from Out of Darkness, Shining Light (Being a Faithful Account of the Final Years and Earthly Days of Doctor David Livingstone and His Last Journey form the interior to the Coast of Africa, as Narrated by His African Companions, in Three Volumes) by Petina Gappah

Truth is often stranger than fiction, for who would imagine that the body of Doctor David Livingstone would be carried 1000 miles across Africa, under threat of dangers including kidnapping into slavery, so he could be shipped back to England and rest in his native land? It seems the stuff of legend. But it happened in 1873. Petina Gappah spent ten years researching this journey, then imagining the forgotten people whose dedication to the Doctor spurred their journey.

I had hoped for a great adventure story and found a journey that vividly recreates late 19th c Africa with its clash of cultures, religions, and power. It is filled with unforgettable characters, culminates in an explosive late revelation, and brings to light the impact of colonization.

The Doctor's missionary zeal abated while his anti-slavery zeal and respect for the Africans grew. He became obsessed with discovering the source of the Nile, believing its discovery would bring him the status and power to advance his ideals. When Stanley found the missing Livingstone he was already ill but would not return to civilization. The mixed group he had gathered, Africans, Muslims, manumitted slaves, and mission-trained Christian blacks, were left with the responsibility for his remains. They buried his heart and organs, dried his body, and proceeded to walk 279 days to Zanzibar.

Gappah tells the story in two voices. The appealing Halima was documented as Livingstone's cook, bought from slavery and freed by him. Halina's mother was a concubine in the house of a servant of the Sultan. Halima was a bondswoman passed from man to man. She dreams of the house Livingstone promised her. Then there is Jacob Wainwright, bought from slavery and sent to the mission school, a devote Christian who quotes The Pilgrim's Progress. Jacob's tale is stilted in language and filled with religious concerns, he is dislikeable and arrogant. He struggles with his passions and questions of faith. And yet, this faithful, educated, ambitious man's hopes are dashed because of his color and ethnicity.

The journey is rife with conflict and even death as the men vie for power and control and importance--and women. They face enemies and famine. They see hopeless villages devoid of their youth by the slavers. And everywhere, dry bones tied to trees, kidnapped Africans left by the slavers to die. Instead of welcome and assistance, the Europeans confiscate essentials.

"...this was no longer just the last journey of the Doctor, but our journey too. I was no longer just about the Doctor, about the wrongs and rights of bearing him home, or burying him here or buying him there, but about all that we had endured. It was about our fallen comrades." ~from Out of Darkness, Shining Light by Petina Gappah

How did this one man, this Doctor Livingstone, manage to inspire such loyalty? He was beloved because of his acceptance and respect for those he met, his understanding of human nature, his commitment to ending slavery--liberal Christian values out-of-sync with his time.

"But out of that great and troubling darkness came shining light. Our sacrifice burnished the glory of his life." ~from Out of Darkness, Shining Light by Petina Gappah

I was given access to a free egalley by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

[Whitlaw Tanyanyiwa Mugwiji · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I finished reading this book a couple of months ago, I was tempted to join the multitude of readers who were heaping praises on Petina Gappah saying that she had outdone herself with this book. Although, it is a beautiful story that is beautifully narrated, I could not say that without becoming dishonest. I confess, prior to this book, I had only managed to read one other book from her oeuvre.

In as much as this story was written well, authored by an African, narrated through the eyes of Africans, it is my contention that the story remains a European story. It involved Africans, happened in Africa and was told through the Africans' eyes but it remains Eurocentric in perspective. It must never be lost on us that explorers like David Livingstone, played a key role in the colonisation of Africa. They were funded either by their governments or by exploration societies with the twin main aims of discovering resources and the means of how European/Western governments or companies could exploit those resources. Once we agree on this point, it becomes easy to view the Africans in this story not as heroes and heroines but as villains who ignorantly devoted their loyalty aiding and abating the enemy.

Secondly, I have strong reservations with the title of the book. Europeans used to regard our continent the dark continent. What darkness is she referring to? Is the carrying of a dead white person across the continent the shinning light she was referring to ? The answers to these questions reinforce my position that the book is Eurocentric in perspective.

History is contested terrain and it is true that African historians have been crying foul, that we as Africans were written out of history. I would like to believe that this is not the writing into history they were crying for. The writing of Africans into history entails the retelling of the past through an African perspective.

In conclusion, I want you to imagine the 'Jewish' people retelling their past and implicitly giving glowing accounts on people who played be they periphery/marginal roles in their persecution. They would be furore in the Jewish community.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biofiktio matkakertomus, jossa kahden kertojan, Halima-orjan ja pappishaaveita elättelevä Jacobin, kanssa kannetaan Livingstonen ruumista pitkin Afrikkaa. Suuri taustatyö kuuluu ja tuntuu elävänä Afrikkana ja kielenä, mutta kirja ei imaissut mukaansa.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in a pair of completely dissimilar voices, Out of Darkness, Shining Light, recounts the journey taken across Africa to bring the body of David Livingstone to the coast whence it could be returned to England. The journey, decided upon by the Africans traveling with Livingstone at the time of his death, is historical fact. The novel is both an attempt to make vivid the journey as it happened and an exploration of alternate ways that journey might have been experienced by those undertaking it.

Both narrators, a female cook, Halima, and an aspiring minister, Jacob Wainwright, who was rescued from the slave trade and educated at a school for former slaves in India are garrulous. Halima speaks colloquially, loading her tale with bits of gossip and digressions. Wainwright casts the entire journey as his own Pilgrim's Progress, and consciously and carefully uses his own very formal version of the English language to narrative the journey. Both voices require some getting used to, but their very different pacing and perspectives pull readers in.

Out of Darkness, Shining Light examines both the motivation of those who explore and "discover"—almost invariably in land inhabited by and well-know to indigenous peoples—and the way we each work to piece our own lives into coherent, purposeful narrative. It offers a thought-provoking read that will remain with readers long after the book is finished.

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kiinnostava ja viihdyttävä! Odotin ehkä kuitenkin intensiivisempää lukukokemusta. Yleisesti aika rauhallinen tunnelma, vaikka käänteitä vaelluksessa riittikin.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in the overall story and setting, but it was slow going. I also found Jacob a somewhat unlikable character, so listening to his voice for 1/2 the book was difficult at time.

[Susanna Rautio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tähän kirjaa on tehty vuosikymmenen taustatyö. Tämä on kirja isosta ja ristiriitaisesta aiheesta, Livingstonen ruumiiskuljetuksesta Afrikan savanneilta ja viidakoista Lontooseen.

Orjakauppa, tutkimusmatkat ja uskonnollinen käännyttäminen. Jos nämä eivät ole moraalisesti Afrikan historian kylmäävimpiä aiheita, niin mitkä? Jos "legendan" ruumiin kuljetus läpi vaarojen ei ole täydellinen kehystarina fiktiolle, mikä on?

Siksi harmittaa kovasti, ettei Grappah ottanut aiheesta enempää irti. Kun kertoja jättää itsensä näin etäiseksi ja hahmot ovat jopa hauskoja, ei oikein tiedä miten tähän pitäisi suhtautua.

Joka tapauksessa taas ihmettelin, miten olen onnistunut olemaan lukematta näistäkään aiheista mitään! Lähinnä tulee mieleen vain Graham Greene. Tuli taas muistettua, miten monta hyvää syytä on lukea kirjoja.

[Marja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was a very interesting story based on real events. I don't know how much of it is fictional but it was fascinating nevertheless. It was very readable and and thought-provoking. It's told from dual POV and it starts with Halima's POV. She used to be a slave and she's married to Amoda who's part of Dr Livingtone's expedition. I liked her. She's not educated but she's feisty and smart and it was amusing to read about her observations. The second POV is that of Jacob Wainwright, a baptised Christian, who was born in East Africa but educated in India. To be honest, I found Jacob pretty tiring character and since I'm not religious person, his religious tirades where a bit excessive to me. I would rather have read more about Halima's POV, but I still liked the dual narrative. It was a good book, and I will check more Petina Gappah books in the future.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not finishing a book always feels a little like admitting failure. But there are others to be read, so I forge ahead.

I got halfway through and just couldn't do it. It's a fascinating concept: the story of moving Dr. Livingstone's (deceased) body from the interior jungle of Africa to the coast to be shipped home to England. Sounds kind of strange, but it's told from the perspective of two specific Africans who were part of his "team" (i.e guides, cooks, "laborers", etc). Rather than alternating between the two, it shifts narrators mid-book. That's where I lost interest. Although the second narrator is more humorous in his narcissism and blind pride, the writing gets bogged down in his voice.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting:

"...story of the loyal men and women who carried explorer and missionary [Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, David] Dr. Livingstone's body, his papers and maps, fifteen hundred miles across the continent of Africa, so his remains could be returned home to England and his work preserved there. Narrated by Halima, the doctor's sharp-tongued cook, and Jacob Wainwright, a rigidly pious freed slave..."

A tough read because at least at the beginning, the introduction of SO MANY CHARACTERS and SO MUCH FOREIGN TERMINOLOGY is offputting [there is a 6-page glossary at the end but it is a downfall of an ebook that one cannot flip to the back readily]. So. It took me quite a while to get into the rhythm of the book and not mix up all the characters. But eventually I did though it was a process.

The journey through the various tribal territorries that met with many challenges made for interesting reading. I most enjoyed Halima [particularly at the end when she finally was able to enjoy her door], but I found Jacob Wainwright the most intriguing "character"--and that terminology is intended. I thought that for all his intelligence, he often was clueless.

For me, this was a slow read. Often dark. And the only instance with humor was a description of a hairwash--the villagers thought Livingstone's "...brains came out when he washed his hair,, then went back in again... it was only the soap he used that created white suds that looked like they had come from within him."

Chock full of details. No wonder this book was 20 years in the making. Gappah says that she conducted more than 10 years of historical research.

Recommend if you are willing to persevere. Hint: Pay attention to the italics/paragraph at the beginning of each chapter.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tutkimusmatkailijoiden elämä on jollain tapaa aina kiehtonut minua, ja kun huomasin tämän David Livingstonesta kertovan kirjan, päätin uteliaana tarttua siihen. Jokainen varmasti tuntee kuuluisan lausahduksen: ”Doctor Livingstone, I presume?” Se kuuluu myös tämän kirjan sivuilla. Teos kuitenkin kertoo ennen kaikkea Livingstonen laajasta lähinnä paikallisista koostuneessa matkaseurueesta, joka päättää tohtorin kuoltua viedä tämän ruumiin rannikolle. Sieltä ruumis matkaisi laivalla takaisin kotimaahansa Englantiin.
Kirjassa on kaksi kertojaa, kouluttamaton ja käytännöllinen Halima sekä jumalinen ja oppinut Jacob Wainwright. Halima oli kertojana alussa ja luinkin nopeasti ensimmäisen kolmanneksen. Kun Jacob siirtyi kertojaksi, alkoi takkuaminen. Jacob liittää jokaikisen asian jotenkin Kristukseen ja haaveilee pappeudesta, joten kukin voi kuvitella paatoksen määrän. Toki juoni kulki eteenpäin, mutta hyvin kristillisten lasien läpi. Minua tämä puudutti niin, että kirja taisi seisoa koskemattomana kuukauden ennen kuin jaksoin taas paneutua Jacobin ajatusmaailmaan. Loppua kohden paatos hieman keveni, Halimakin oli hetken kertojana, ja takakannen suljettuani, totesin, että ihan kelpo kirjahan se oli.
Ennen kaikkea kirjan suurin ansio oli, ettei sen päähenkilöinä olleet eurooppalaiset kolonialistit, vaan heidän palvelijansa ja orjansa. Kirja tuo hyvin esiin sen, miten eurooppalaiset vaikuttivat Afrikassa. Heidän käytöksensä paikallisia kohtaan on paikoin hyvin vastenmielistä. Jos Afrikan historia kiinnostaa vähääkään kaunokirjallisessa muodossa, niin tähän kirjaan kannattaa tarttua.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zimbabwean writer Petina Gappah creates a fascinating work of historical fiction reconstructing the 8-month journey some of David Livingston’s African workers took to transport his body to a coastal city so it could be shipped to England for burial. Gappah gives us two memorable characters and uses their stories to tell a compelling story while exploring the impacts of Imperialism and Christianity. Narrators Nyasha Hatendi and Sibongile Mlambo,bring the first-person perspectives to life in the audiobook.

[Nothando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petina is one of the wittiest and most research driven writers that I’ve come across. This book is an absolute gem, the David Livingstone story retold through a different set of eyes.

[Kirja Vieköön! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pimeydestä loistaa valo kertoo värikkäästi eläytyen, miten Livingstonen retkikunta kuljetti Chitambon suoalueella kuolleen Livingstonen ruumiin Sansibariin ja edelleen haudattavaksi Westminster Abbeyhin. Matka oli pitkä ja vaarallinen: 2500 km ja viisi kuukautta. Anne Saksmanin ääni istui loistavasti tarinaan ja hän äänsi swahilin sanat upeasti. Gappah eläytyy loistavasti Livingstonen kokin Haliman nahkoihin. Toinen kertojaääni on Bombayssa koulutetun ylemmyydentuntoisen ja hurskastelevan Jacob Wainwrightin. Ihailin Gappahin loistavaa mielikuvitusta ja eläytymiskykyä.

"Petina Gappah rakentaa Livingstonen palvelijoiden ruumissaatosta huikean, moniäänisen kudelman, joka on yhtä aikaa suuri seikkailu ja kriittinen näkökulma löytöretkiin ja kolonialismiin.” - Juuri näin!!!!

[Lindsey Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

[Buchdoktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als David Livingstone nach langer Krankheit am 1. Mai 1873 in Chitambo am Bangweulusee stirbt, begraben seine allerersten Träger Abdullah Susi und James Chuma sein Herz, balsamieren seine Leiche ein und transportieren sie 1500 Meilen weit nach Bagamoyo an der Ostküste, damit sie zurück nach Europa gebracht werden kann. Livingstone war auf der Suche nach den Nilquellen, über die Herodot schrieb, ohne sie selbst gesehen zu haben. Diese Expedition, die Livingstones Aufzeichnungen für die Nachwelt rettete, beschreibt Petina Gappah aus der Sicht von Halima, Livingstones Köchin und von Jacob Wainwright, einem so genannten Nassick-Boy, der von Europäern aus einem Sklaventransport befreit und in Indien in einer Missionsschule als Diener für Weiße erzogen wurde.

Halima war die Tochter einer Sklavin aus Sansibar und wurde von Livingstone freigekauft. Dass sie damit nicht in Livingstones Besitz überging, war ihr lange nicht bewusst. Halima wird z. B. in den genannt in: Henry M. Stanley How I Found Livingstone in Central Africa/Wie ich Livingstone fand: Reisen und Entdeckungen in Zentral-Afrika und Volker Matthies: Im Schatten der Entdecker: indigene Begleiter europäischer Forschungsreisender.

Petina Gappahs alternative Livingstone-Biografie wird von zwei Figuren erzählt, die bisher Fußnoten der Geschichte waren, stellt Yaa Gyasi treffend fest. Im ersten Drittel ihres Buches nimmt Halima (laut Livingstone die Frau mit dem ungeheuerlichen Mundwerk) offen und couragiert zu den Fehlern Stellung, die die Mzungus (Weißen) bei ihren Entdeckungsreisen auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent aus ihrer Sicht begehen. Sie muss zwar Bwana Daudi (Livingstone) zugestehen, dass er die diplomatische Kunst beherrscht, eine Expedition schwarzer Träger zusammenzustellen; was sie nicht begreifen kann, ist allerdings, warum weiße Männer ihre eigenen Kinder in der Heimat unversorgt zurücklassen, um irgendwelche Flüsse zu erforschen. Dem Nil wäre es egal, ob seine Quelle gefunden wird und die Flüsse würden immer noch existieren, wenn die Forscher längst tot wären. Halima durchschaut die Widersprüche speziell von Missionaren, die zwar offiziell Sklaverei ablehnen, aber dennoch selbst Sklaven kaufen. Halima wurde von Livingstone als „Frau für die Reise“ für Amodi gekauft, dem sie ins Auge fiel, ganz in der Tradition, dass alle Diener eine Ehefrau für unterwegs brauchten, damit sie den anderen Sklavinnen nicht nachstellten. Selbst Henry M. Stanleys Diener Bombay muss einen eigenen Kindersklaven gehabt haben, der sein Gewehr trug. Halimas Sicht der Dinge klingt pragmatisch und bodenständig und ich bin ihren Vorstellungen interessiert gefolgt. In diesem Text ist Halima es, die den Wert der Aufzeichnungen Livingstones betont, weil andere Menschen sicher wissen wollen, was L. bisher erforscht hat. Hätten weiße Forscher Frauen wie ihr zugehört, wären ganzen Kontinenten Ausbeutung und Missionierung erspart geblieben.

Schockierend wird die alternative Geschichte vom Transport Livingstones Leichnams allerdings, als Jacob Wainwright für die beiden restlichen Drittel des Buches die Chronistenrolle übernimmt. Von weißen Missionaren schon als Kind zum Diener trainiert, wirkt er britischer als die Briten und fanatischer als ein christlicher Missionar. Jacob hat offenbar kritiklos verinnerlicht, was man ihm in der Missionsschule eingebläut hat und wird mit seinem rassistischen Menschenbild zum Fürsprecher der Unterdrücker Afrikas. Jacob ist überzeugt davon, dass er anderen überlegen ist, weil er die Sprache der Weißen spricht und nicht nur für einen weißen Bwana gearbeitet hat. Jacobs Mission: er will Gottes Wort zu denen bringen, die ihn als Kind in die Sklaverei verkauft haben. Dieser gebildetste, kultivierteste, moralisch überlegenste aller Diener wirkt in seiner Überheblichkeit schwer erträglich, so dass ich mir beim Lesen so manches Mal die bodenständige Halima zurückgewünscht habe. Von der Figur Jacobs ermüdet, bleibt jedoch Petina Gappah als Entdeckung zu nennen, die bereits einige Romane veröffentlicht hat.

Petina Gappah hat am Livingstone-Thema 20 Jahre lang gearbeitet und legt einen mit Glossar und Quellenverzeichnis sorgfältig konzipierten Roman aus bisher ungehörter Perspektive vor, in dem sie Livingstone selbst in Zitaten zu Wort kommen lässt. Auch wenn Jacobs Überheblichkeit eine Geduldsprobe war, hat Gappah mich perfekt unterhalten – und meine Neugier auf Stanleys Bericht geweckt.