Harry Harambee's Kenyan Sundowner

by Gerald Everett Jones

Intrigue on the white sands of the Indian Ocean. From the award-winning author of Clifford’s Spiral.

A lonely widower from Los Angeles buys a tour package to East Africa on the promise of hookups and parties. What he finds instead are new reasons to live.
Aldo Barbieri, a slick Italian tour operator, convinces Harry to join a group of adventuresome “voluntourists.” In a resort town on the Indian Ocean, Harry doesn’t find the promised excitement with local ladies. But in the supermarket he meets Esther Mwemba, a demure widow who works as a bookkeeper. The attraction is strong and mutual, but Harry gets worried when he finds out that Esther and Aldo have a history. They introduce him to Victor Skebelsky, rumored to be the meanest man in town. Skebelsky has a plan to convert his grand colonial home and residential compound into a rehab center – as a tax dodge. The scheme calls for Harry to head up the charity. He could live like a wealthy diplomat and it won’t cost him a shilling!

Harry has to come to terms with questions at the heart of his character: Is corruption a fact of life everywhere? Is all love transactional?

Harry Harambee’s Kenyan Sundowner is an emotional story of expat intrigue in Africa, reminiscent of The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene and The Constant Gardener by John le Carré.

Genres: Fiction

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 29, 2021

About the author

Gerald says, "I write mystery-thrillers and literary fiction for adult readers who seek insight, fascination, and delight in the adventures of their own lives."
Gerald Everett Jones is a freelance writer who lives in Santa Monica, California. Harry Harambee's Kenyan Sundowner is his eleventh and most recent novel. From 2020-21 he won ten book awards - one in business, four in literary fiction, and five in mystery-thriller. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Dramatists Guild, Women's National Book Association, and Film Independent (FIND), as well as a director of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC). He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from the College of Letters, Wesleyan University, where he studied under novelists Peter Boynton (Stone Island), F.D. Reeve (The Red Machines), and Jerzy Kosinski (The Painted Bird, Being There). Learn more at geraldeverettjones.com.

Reviews

[Sallie Dunn]

⭐️⭐️.75

I am working at clearing out my Kindle Unlimited so I can choose some different books that hopefully won’t be sitting out there for 3 or 4 years as the ones I most recently read have. I’m not sure why this one even appealed to me in the first place. Three years after I downloaded it to Kindle, it still has only 18 ratings on Goodreads.

But I digress - Harry Gardner is almost retired (he’s self employed), 60 something, a widower for a few years. He signs up for a trip to East Africa sold to him by Aldo Barbieri, who accompanies him on this vacation venture. This Aldo guy is a main character in the novel, and it’s not really clear to me whether he’s a good guy or a shyster (I think the latter.) Harry thinks his adventure is going to include hot chicks and wild sex but it doesn’t turn out too much this way at all. The book is pretty current - while he’s still in Kenya the pandemic happens and he couldn’t come home if he wanted to.

I’ve probably told too much of the plot already but more stuff does happen than what I’ve described. It’s obvious this author has considerable knowledge about Kenya, its history, and its current geo-political state, perhaps the outrageous corruption. Suffice it to say, I’m still shaking my head at this unusual fiction.

The 52 Book Club Challenge - 2024
Prompt #18 - an apostrophe in the title

[Lalaa #ThisBlackGirlReads]

The premise of this book truly intrigued me and I was excited to read it. The book took me a moment to really get into but what kept me reading was the beautiful writing. I really liked the story and what I loved the most was learning so much about Kenya. A lovely read.

[John Rachel]

It's obvious, to me anyway, that this author lived in Kenya and thoroughly understands the social dynamics of being a mzungu there. While the people of East Africa are genuinely and generally great people, it is accepted as a certainty that if you're white, you're "rich". This suspends above every relationship a question mark. Does this person appreciate me for who I am or what they want and think they might get? Sorry to be so blunt but it's the reality I personally experienced in every third world country I've visited (there were at least twenty). At the same time, the tension that comes from the inherent inequality -- and yes, the poorest of us from the developed countries are rich compared to many Kenyans, folks with a somewhat developed economy which still leaves vast numbers mired in poverty -- does not preclude real friendships and good relationships from developing. If you can't go there, this excellent novel will give you a glimpse of that world, filtered through and accented by the vibrant prose of this novelist. Truth in advertising: I've read almost everything he's written and savor his work.

[Gabrielle Dahms]

Exotic locales entice. Kenya offers beaches, women, and the good life for the likes of Harry Harambee. The story is different for most locals, at least for those with darker skin than his.

Harry is a Southern California vacationer arriving in Kenya for promised adventure. He is tame─ an outsider looking in, a man who waffles about what he wants. A wealthy, almost drifter, Harry adjusts to the locale, to its intrigues and corruption. The practical, no-nonsense Esther give his life new meaning.

Harambee, Harry’s Kiswahili nickname, which means “to pull together,” defines the trajectory of his Kenyan journey. Well written and entertaining!

[Blanche Maze]

Well written, but not for me

-Big thanks to books that make you and bookstagrammers.com for the ARC-

When Harry goes to East Africa, it's to have fun, find hookups and enjoy parties. As it turns out, things won't be like that, especially when Aldo invites him on a special tour. Harry will discover things, enjoy new experiences, and, especially, meet Esther. The attraction between the two widowed strangers is strong and their relationship tumultuous.

When I started this book, I didn't really know what to expect. I only knew that the blurb sounded quite entertaining and unique and I was excited to set foot into Kenya with Harry. However, looking back, I don't think this book was for me. The first thing I want to say is that it is really well written. The writing is truly exciting and well put together, with descriptions of places and people that had me traveling instantly. However, the whole thing felt really long and slow to me. There was too much talk and not enough action I'd say, which is totally personnal. I felt like the story was dragging a bit, and I would have wanted to see more of Harry's and Ether's relationship, and sooner. I did enjoy the setting and the "ambiance" of the book though, and I don't regret reading it because I learned a lot about a part of the world that I'm not familiar with. Harry is an interesting character with a heavy background and it was fun to see him live in that strange and new world that he knew nothing about. I liked discovering it with him as well. In the end, I'd say it was a good book, but I wasn't the right target for it, but congrats to the author!

I'd recommend if you like slow, contemporary "romances" set in a unique place!

"Corruption is the mother of Kenya."

[Pamela Jaye]

Retired American Harry just wants a break and a bit of adventure so he signs up for a visit to Kenya that promises relaxation and fun ‘romantic’ interactions. The ex-pat is somewhat self-propelled but softly pummeled by the expectations and actions of others. Not quite passive but not terribly active either, his “go with the flow” attitude soon finds suspicions of motives and agendas piling up, from the man who set up the tour and a charity development plan to the attractive widow he meets, plus all the bureaucrats and fixers. Corruption keeps unfolding and Harry doesn’t know who to trust about what…yet he’s compelled to keep exploring the opportunities both financial and emotional. The promise of doing good for people overrides his sense of danger. Until….

You’ll enjoy this engaging and insightful read from award-winning novelist Gerald Everett Jones.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher and voluntarily place this review.

[PurpleLadi]

Frustrating Story

Several times I thought about not finishing this book. My main reason was because I was very upset with the main character. Harry's insipid uninspiring character really irritated me. He is like a slug that just slides through life, letting others make decisions for him. He is barely existing, and aimlessly that. That is not my idea of living. It was not until the final chapter that he finally wakes up, and begins to take charge of his existence and positively impact his life.

[Tahnia Ross]

This is a great story that started out a little slowly for me but soon picked up speed. Harry Gardner goes on his first trip to Kenya, meets a beautiful Kenyan woman and her two teenaged children, and ends up running a youth hostel with the participation of his daughter. This story has plenty of paranoia, angst, and the shenanigans of a ruthless businessman plus includes romance and a HEA. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[R.K. Emery]

Harry Harambee's Kenyan Sundowner is well-conceived. It's set in a beautiful location and the author brings it to life through his words.
It's well-plotted, I found it easy to follow and I loved everything from the setting to the characters.
And ultimately it is well told. I became fascinated with the story right from the beginning. I enjoyed the characters and was invested in their lives. They and their journeys were refreshing. The story held me 'til the end

[Cami Eslick]

The story is incredibly well written and interesting. I loved the descriptions of Kenya and the insight into life there. It's very clear the author knows what he is talking about and his done his research. I love the history sprinkled in. The characters have depth. This is not my usual style of book but I really enjoyed it.

[Samantha Turley]

The author made the characters and storyline really come to life.
This was a read that I was not expecting to understand as well as I did. I connected to it in a way that surprised me.
I loved how smooth and quick of a read it was.