A Crocodile in the Pool: Tales of a Diplomat's Wife in the Congo

by Janet Ruddock

In 1978, the author and her diplomat husband, Frank, were assigned their first overseas posting two years in Kinshasa, the Congo (then Zaire), a corrupt, impoverished, and politically unstable country in Central Africa. Little in their pre-posting training had prepared them for living in the land that had inspired Joseph Conrad s Heart of Darkness nearly a century before. However, with the optimism of youth and the enthusiasm of true adventurers, they set about turning a crumbling villa into a home, exploring a region always on the brink of war, and coping with the many harsh and often unbelievable realities of life in the tropics. Throughout their stay, Janet wrote lengthy newsletters home for distribution amongst family and friends detailing their amazing experiences as a Canadian diplomat and a primary teacher. These form the basis for this entertaining and observant account of life in a land civilization forgot. Unfortunately, little has changed in Central Africa, making A Crocodile in the Pool as relevant today as when the letters were first written.

160 pages, Perfect Paperback

Published January 1, 2001