Book description
Hans Bengler, a young entomologist, leaves Sweden for the Kalahari
Desert, determined to find a previously undiscovered insect to name
after himself and advance his career. Instead, he finds a young boy,
whose tribe has been decimated by European raiders.
Accustomed to collecting specimens, Bengler re-names the traumatised
child Daniel and brings him home to Sweden, intending to 'civilise'
him. But Daniel yearns desperately for the desert and his real family.
His only consolation is his friendship with a vulnerable young girl
who is also an outsider in the community, but even this bond is
destined to be violently broken, as Daniel's isolation and increasing
desperation lead to a chilling tragedy.
Henning Mankell has become a worldwide phenomenon with his crime
writing, gripping thrillers and atmospheric novels set in Africa. His
prize-winning and critically acclaimed Inspector Wallander Mysteries
are currently dominating bestseller lists all over the globe. His
books have been translated into over forty languages and made into
numerous international film and television adaptations: most recently
the BAFTA-award-winning BBC television series Wallander,
starring Kenneth Branagh. Mankell devotes much of his free time to
working with Aids charities in Africa, where he is also director of
the Teatro Avenida in Maputo. In 2008, the University of St Andrews
conferred Henning Mankell with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters
in recognition of his major contribution to literature and to the
practical exercise of conscience.
www. henningmankell. co. uk
