{"product_id":"the-second-coming-of-mavala-shikongo-9780316075268","title":"The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSet in Namibia just after independence in the early 1990s, Peter Orner's first novel is a chronicle of the long days, short loves, and cold nights at Goas, an all-boys Catholic primary school so deep in the veld that \"even the baboons feel sorry for us.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Though physically isolated in semi-desert beneath a relentless sun, the people of Goas create an alternate, more fertile universe through the stories they tell each other. The book's central character is Mavala Shikongo, a combat veteran who fought in Namibia's long war for independence against South Africa. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She has recently returned to the school -- with a child, but no husband. Mavala is modern, restless, and driven, in sharp contrast to conservative Goas. All the male teachers (including a bumbling but observant volunteer from Cincinnati) try not to fall in love with her. Everyone fails -- immediately and miserably. This extraordinary first novel explores the history of a place through the stories of its people. But above all it's about the fleetingness of love and the endurance of fellowship.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown and Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67920090988722,"sku":"9780316075268","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0536\/7418\/0786\/files\/9780316075268.jpg?v=1794006384","url":"https:\/\/shop.hachettebookgroup.com\/products\/the-second-coming-of-mavala-shikongo-9780316075268","provider":"Hachette Book Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}