Back to the Bush: A Novel

by James Hendry

Back to the Bush is the tale of a second year at Sasekile Private Game Reserve for brothers Angus and Hugh MacNaughton. Angus’s weekly journal recounts a positive beginning to the fastidious Hugh is in love, running his own camp and on the verge of a promotion. Angus is involved in a romantic liaison, which takes the edge off his customary cynicism, and for the first time in their adult lives, a positive fraternal bond exists between them.

Inevitably, reality comes calling. Angus’s love affair ends, Hugh becomes stratospherically arrogant, and Julia, the MacNaughtons’ sister, starts dating Angus’s nemesis – Alistair ‘the Legend’ Jones. Then there are a series of further ‘hiccups’, from demanding lodge guests and marauding monkeys, to a run-in with a blind-drunk head chef, a winter drought, a rogue elephant and the resignation of the sterling head ranger.

You are guaranteed to be entertained by the hilarious antics and hard knocks as well as the fierce beauty of the African landscape.

448 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2022

Reviews

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books don't get better than this.
Simple, easy to read, engaging, sort of believable and laugh out loud funny.
I enjoyed his 1st book immensely, but this one is all round better.

[Shanna Mol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completely missed the first book in this series, but that didn’t matter for the story line. Funny and relatable stories (especially if you are a guide). Entertaining and easy to read.

[Kristy Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have become quite fond of the Mcnoughtons. Will look for the next one! Still not entirely PC, but humorous nonetheless.