A review by ldv
The Book of Secrets by M.G. Vassanji

3.0

Kind of eclectic but interesting and realistic -- this is NOT the book for those who like all the loose ends neatly tied up. This book intentionally and explicitly leaves most of the strings untied. It's a bit of history and family saga in Dar es Salaam, where British colonials, Indians, and Africans co-exist (though not necessarily peacefully). It's not about death and destruction though war happens. It's a novel about people's lives in a culture and time period different from any in North America or Europe. A good read, but not one that you want to pick and put down repeatedly or drag out; if you do that you'll lose the threads and not appreciate the narrative.