content: Ronan Bennet has written an Irish classic. It is not Joyce's "Ulysses" nor does it even remotely resemble "Angela's Ashes". There is no famine or sectarian violence but rather the heart and soul of the Irish diaspora. The famine and troubles of Ireland are evident in the narrator's soul as his internecine relationship with his Communist lover spins wildly out of control. The historical background of the Congolese civil war provides a palpable feel to the book. His search and pursuit of his lover into Patrice Lumamba's Congo is not contrived. I would recommend this book to anyone and I hope that Ronan Bennet writes another soon.