In Search of Africa

by Frank Coates

Two countries in turmoil; two lives betrayed - and one love that links them Kip Balmain, a young Australian boy taken to a small town in Africa, finds himself caught up in the violence of colonial Kenya. As the country struggles towards independence, Kip also struggles to understand his mother's vindictive hatred of the father he has never met - and resolves to uncover the mystery of his parentage. In Uganda, Rose Nasonga, a girl at risk after her idyllic village life becomes a nightmare of civil war, uses her beauty to escape into the world of fashion, but learns that her new life can be equally destructive Out of the horrors of war, across the boundaries of time and race, Kip and Rose discover that their lives are mysteriously linked. And that the paths they travel alone, and ultimately together, lead them inexorably to their greatest discovery.

Genres: Fiction, Africa, Historical Fiction

503 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

I try to be positive in reading any book but sadly with In Search of Africa I gave up on page 319 of 498.
Really hard to get in gaged in a muddled plot.

[Lee McKerracher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book grew on me as I worked my way through it. There are a lot of characters and their lives are explored over many decades which means you do need to invest some time in it not to 'lose the plot'.

Once I was embedded in the narrative, it became much more engaging. The work shows just how easy one's fortune or failure can be linked to a single moment in time. It also highlights a very human failing about how we make assumptions, which are generally wrong, but make decisions on those assumptions that shape not only our lives but the lives of others.

Kip Balmain has had a hard life, neglected and abused as a child in remote Nanyuki in Uganda where his only friend was a local African youth. Kip grows up angry, determined, but with a hole in his heart as he does not know who his father is.

Kip's journey through Uganda, establishing a business and forming partnerships is told in parallel to the story of Rose Nasonga who, having fled her village which was engulfed in violence, tries to break into the modelling industry - with all sorts of consequences playing out as her career takes her across Africa and eventually to London and back again.

How are the lives of these two linked? Frank Coates weaves these storylines that intersect time and again until they eventually join and when they do both Kip and Rose discover much about their past and just how connected they are.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kip an orphan Australian boy found himself as a young child with two awful women, one supposed to be his mother, in a small village in Kenya. In telling his story of finding out who he is we go through the troubles of Africa, in neighbouring Uganda, with bad Obote as PM, then worse Idi Amin, then Obote back again, Mau Mau troubles in Kenya and the huge rivalries between black and white, and different black tribes who seem to loathe each other. WE meet Kip’s father at the very beginning during WW2, but then he disappears. He had made friends with Zakayo, an African who resettled in Uganda, and Kip falls for his beautiful daughter. Coates knows his Africa and he writes clearly and visually – except for his penchant for using African words, which may add verismo but too much of that is distracting. But for anyone remotely interested in that period of African history will find this book fascinating. The story’s interesting too!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story that spans about 40 years, of two completely unconnected people bought together by circumstance and fate. It is not a book for the faint hearted as it contains a lot of violence which sadly was part of the history of the two nations involved. The story line though kept me wanting to pick the book up and keep reading. I preferred softly calls the Serengeti to this book, but this book was well written and I love learning about different cultures and countries histories.

[Neha · Rating 4 out of 5]

40 years of a story following two unconnected individuals and how their lives intersect across two countries... living in Tanzania at the moment...and having just visited the national museum yesterday, the historical background of the colonial period has had me hooked for some time now...and this book somehow has helped fan the need to know and devour more information about the colonial times and Africa..

[penelope hargrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story, brought back very happy and not so happy memories of growing up in Kenya between 1953 -1963. I could picture the places I knew ,I felt the story was a fair picture of how things really were in those days. Well done.

[Kerri Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic read covering Ugandan history in a fictionalised form. I enjoyed following Kip’s journey as a white boy/man who was truly African. The only thing was that I felt the story wrapped up a little too quickly without little explanation.

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I ever read that took place in Africa and it was no disappointment. For such a thick book it really stayed captivating all the way through. Usually when I read a book with as many story lines as this one, I have a few I like and a few I don't. But in this case I really enjoyed reading every single one of them. The characters felt really realistic and I felt sympathy towards many of them. Sadly enough I had to leave one star for a few reasons:
- I felt the book was a little too fast paced.
- Some pieces felt like they were written a bit sloppily and should have been edited a bit better.
Also I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, but that's just taste and not something that's the fault of the book.

I think I might pick up more books by Frank Coates in the future as I found it really interesting to learn a little about a culture and history I didn't know anything about and his books all surround the theme of East-African history I believe.

[Ida · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In Search of Africa" earns 3.5 stars from me. I cannot fault Frank Coates on grammar, plot line, descriptions, or character building, but there was just something missing. In certain scenes that should have been nail-biting, the excitement was absent. I even re-read paragraphs thinking it was just me, but the build-up was simply lacking. The last part of the novel was decidedly more exciting...a pity the author didn't manage to convey that emotion throughout the book.

[Janice Torrance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Uganda and Kenya, a story of two men and their life spanning over 20 plus years. Some political history was woven into the story. One of the main characters is a boy who was mistreated as a child had a friend who was native to Uganda. The story had multiple characters and plots to keep you interested. Some drama and then some romance to spice it up. Bit of a mission for me to finish, but pleased I did.

[Phillip Cushman · Rating 4 out of 5]

His characters come alive.

[Jane Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read.

[Beatté · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read