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A review by joyfilledwander
A Treacherous Paradise by Henning Mankell
3.0
A Treacherous Paradise by Henning Mankell, set in 1900's Portuguese-colonized Mozambique, is a slow going, slow building novel of sorts. It's driven more by character than plot, yet the story continually pulls you in deeper. A few times i thought about quitting this book, but something in the next chapter always compelled me to keep going.
The story is about a young Swedish woman, named Hannah, who sets sail from her homeland bound for Australia as the boat's cook. After being married & widowed [twice], Hannah finds herself in a hotel in Mozambique, which turns out to be one of the most notorious brothels in all the city. And the story goes on, and as Hannah begins to understand the complexities of the new life she has chosen to live, Hannah begins to realize more about herself & the world around her. Racism, colonization, sex, marriage, death, and wealth are major themes in this book that weave in and out like a tapestry.
I adore Henning Mankell as an author, particularly for his Wallander detective series. This was the first non-Wallander book that I read. I think I enjoy Wallander much more than this book, but it was not terrible, and captured a time and a place that I knew so little about. Pick it up if you get the chance!
The story is about a young Swedish woman, named Hannah, who sets sail from her homeland bound for Australia as the boat's cook. After being married & widowed [twice], Hannah finds herself in a hotel in Mozambique, which turns out to be one of the most notorious brothels in all the city. And the story goes on, and as Hannah begins to understand the complexities of the new life she has chosen to live, Hannah begins to realize more about herself & the world around her. Racism, colonization, sex, marriage, death, and wealth are major themes in this book that weave in and out like a tapestry.
I adore Henning Mankell as an author, particularly for his Wallander detective series. This was the first non-Wallander book that I read. I think I enjoy Wallander much more than this book, but it was not terrible, and captured a time and a place that I knew so little about. Pick it up if you get the chance!