4.5. All things considered - this is a wonderfully interesting book. His contemporary setting deals with current state of affairs in the village in a very realistic way. He does not idealize anyone - African or white. What really held my interest was the white expat. His character's choices in life and the patterns he developed made the book about many things besides just a traveler in Africa. I think Theroux has an uncanny ability to describe people physically, but at the same time he gets at the core of the person. You can feel them next to you. I don't know how else to describe it. The young village girl who takes care of Ellis (the white man) is presented by Theroux in gorgeous, almost poetic passages that are wonderful. I want to read more of his books. He takes us into a different world.