The book is about an Indian boy growing up in pre and post colonial Kenya.  The 'in-between' bit refers to the percieved state of Indians in Africa as neither colonials nor natives.

Vikram Lall, we gather, is one of the most wanted men in Africa for curruption and money grabbing. This is hinted at as the book goes along, flicking between pre-colonial Kenya and exile in modern-day Canada.  The beginning centres around the rise of the Mau Mau in and around Nakuru.  The attention then moves to Nairobi as independence comes in.  Various ideas are explored such as Vikram's sister's relationship with a black Kenyan and the postision of Asians in Kenya.  By the time I was two-thirds f the way throgh the book I was thoroughly bored as the book seemed to be in a permanent state of 'just getting going'.

I did not understand way there was a brief exploration of a new storyline, and then nothing else.  It seemed to me that the author tried to pull in a few ideas from elsewhere to pad the book out.  The whole corruption thing was never fully explored either, which proved frustrating.  

In the end I read 'King Leopold's Ghost' before picking Vickram Lall up again.  I dragged my way to a disappointing end.

Verdict - don't bother

Comments (0)