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Belgian Congo Mystery #2
The Headhunter's Daughter
Tamar Myers returns to Africa in The Headhunter’s Daughter, the second book in her wonderful mystery series set in the Belgian Congo in the mid-twentieth century—a riveting and atmospheric follow-up to The Witchdoctor’s Wife. Raised in the Congo herself, the child of missionaries, Myers uses her intimate knowledge of the people, the culture, and the landscape to add richness to this stunning story of an abandoned infant raised by a tribe of headhunters—a masterful mystery that fans of Alexander McCall Smith and The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency will adore.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Tamar Myers
72 books295 followersTamar Myers was born and raised in the Belgian Congo (now just the Congo). Her parents were missionaries to a tribe which, at that time, were known as headhunters and used human skulls for drinking cups. Hers was the first white family ever to peacefully coexist with the tribe, and Tamar grew up fluent in the local trade language. Because of her pale blue eyes, Tamar’s nickname was Ugly Eyes.
Tamar grew up eating elephant, hippopotamus and even monkey. She attended a boarding school that was two days away by truck, and sometimes it was necessary to wade through crocodile infested waters to reach it. Other dangers she encountered as a child were cobras, deadly green mambas, and the voracious armies of driver ants that ate every animal (and human) that didn’t get out of their way.
In 1960 the Congo, which had been a Belgian colony, became an independent nation. There followed a period of retribution (for heinous crimes committed against the Congolese by the Belgians) in which many Whites were killed. Tamar and her family fled the Congo, but returned a year later. By then a number of civil wars were raging, and the family’s residence was often in the line of fire. In 1964, after living through three years of war, the family returned to the United States permanently.
Tamar was sixteen when her family settled in America, and she immediately underwent severe culture shock. She didn’t know how to dial a telephone, cross a street at a stoplight, or use a vending machine. She lucked out, however, by meeting her husband, Jeffrey, on her first day in an American high school. They literally bumped heads while he was leaving, and she entering, the Civics classroom.
Tamar now calls Charlotte, NC home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.
Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Pichu in the near future.
Series:
* Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery
* Den of Antiquity Mystery
Tamar grew up eating elephant, hippopotamus and even monkey. She attended a boarding school that was two days away by truck, and sometimes it was necessary to wade through crocodile infested waters to reach it. Other dangers she encountered as a child were cobras, deadly green mambas, and the voracious armies of driver ants that ate every animal (and human) that didn’t get out of their way.
In 1960 the Congo, which had been a Belgian colony, became an independent nation. There followed a period of retribution (for heinous crimes committed against the Congolese by the Belgians) in which many Whites were killed. Tamar and her family fled the Congo, but returned a year later. By then a number of civil wars were raging, and the family’s residence was often in the line of fire. In 1964, after living through three years of war, the family returned to the United States permanently.
Tamar was sixteen when her family settled in America, and she immediately underwent severe culture shock. She didn’t know how to dial a telephone, cross a street at a stoplight, or use a vending machine. She lucked out, however, by meeting her husband, Jeffrey, on her first day in an American high school. They literally bumped heads while he was leaving, and she entering, the Civics classroom.
Tamar now calls Charlotte, NC home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.
Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Pichu in the near future.
Series:
* Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery
* Den of Antiquity Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
April 18, 2011
Step back in history. Be prepared to embrace a culture and attitude vastly different from your own. The Congo of the 1940’s and 1950’s holds a dark fascination that will alternately repel and excite. Under Belgium rule, the European attitudes and beliefs clashed frequently with indigenous practices. There are passages within this book that astounded me; descriptions of encounters with the ferocious Driver ants that chilled me; and humor that left me reeling, ruefully shaking my head. For me, the odd voice in this book took a while to get into, but I gradually adapted to the cadence, and the distinctive flow of the sentences. Reading this book, I felt the almost sedate ebb and tide of life and death in the jungle. Culture shock was immediate, but as the mystery unraveled, I found myself becoming entranced, almost against my will, in the unfolding drama of this ultimately uniquely mesmerizing narrative.
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review: http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookRevi...
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review: http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookRevi...
October 21, 2014
I thought there was the backbone of an interesting story here, but it just didn't work for me. I enjoy stories set in Africa, but did not get a sense of the place nor connect with the characters.
The part of the book I found fascinating was at the end of the novel which adds the author's description of her childhood in the Belgian Congo. She was born there in 1948 and grew up there. Her parents were missionaries who worked with a tribe of headhunters. She learned their language and describes the tribe's customs, her long travels to school and the dangers after independence. I would definitely read her autobiography.
The part of the book I found fascinating was at the end of the novel which adds the author's description of her childhood in the Belgian Congo. She was born there in 1948 and grew up there. Her parents were missionaries who worked with a tribe of headhunters. She learned their language and describes the tribe's customs, her long travels to school and the dangers after independence. I would definitely read her autobiography.
January 3, 2015
Wow. Can't wait for the next book club to discuss this one! While the main plot was pretty straightforward, the minor themes make this a great book. I like the author's writing style; the way she vividly conveyed race, racism, tribal Africa, and the tremblings of burgeoning revolution and uprising in colonial Africa was amazing to me. And it was a quick read - she packs more into her 200-some pages of storytelling than some authors can put in their chunksters.
March 10, 2011
The year is 1945 in the Belgian Congo.
Born-With-Cord-Around-His-Neck was just a young boy. Though if he wanted to be a man, he had to return to his village with the head of his enemy. While traveling along the river side, Born-With-Cord-Around-His-Neck comes upon a bear. The bear is looking at something. It is a baby girl…a white baby girl for that matter. Born-With-Cord-Around-His-Neck scoops up the baby and brings her back to the village.
While talking to one of the locals, Police Captain Pierre Jardin learns that there is a “white girl” living in of the villages, whose parents are Bashilele r head hunters. Pierre does not believe that is possible. When his girlfriend and missionary, Amanda Brown hears the news, she instantly wants to pay a visit to the village. What she learns about Ugly Eyes will be more shocking than a white girl being raised by headhunters.
The Headhunter’s Daughter is the first book I have read by author, Tamar Myers. While I did find this story fascinating, I never really connected with the characters. While I did like Ugly Eyes, I thought there was a mystery about her that was intriguing and the fact that she seemed so wiser. It was Amanda that had to warm up to. While I did appreciated her coming and trying to save Ugly Eyes, I felt that Ugly Eyes and the rest of the tribe should not have had interference from the “white people”. Amanda’s approach was just a little too pushy. As the story progressed, I was drawn into what was happened and could not wait to learn about where Ugly Eyes came from. You could by Mrs. Myer’s writing that she did have detailed knowledge of the Congo being raised there. Overall, I did think that this was a good read. The Headhunter’s Daughter did peak my interest. I think I may check out Mrs. Myers’s The Witch Doctor’s Wife.
Born-With-Cord-Around-His-Neck was just a young boy. Though if he wanted to be a man, he had to return to his village with the head of his enemy. While traveling along the river side, Born-With-Cord-Around-His-Neck comes upon a bear. The bear is looking at something. It is a baby girl…a white baby girl for that matter. Born-With-Cord-Around-His-Neck scoops up the baby and brings her back to the village.
While talking to one of the locals, Police Captain Pierre Jardin learns that there is a “white girl” living in of the villages, whose parents are Bashilele r head hunters. Pierre does not believe that is possible. When his girlfriend and missionary, Amanda Brown hears the news, she instantly wants to pay a visit to the village. What she learns about Ugly Eyes will be more shocking than a white girl being raised by headhunters.
The Headhunter’s Daughter is the first book I have read by author, Tamar Myers. While I did find this story fascinating, I never really connected with the characters. While I did like Ugly Eyes, I thought there was a mystery about her that was intriguing and the fact that she seemed so wiser. It was Amanda that had to warm up to. While I did appreciated her coming and trying to save Ugly Eyes, I felt that Ugly Eyes and the rest of the tribe should not have had interference from the “white people”. Amanda’s approach was just a little too pushy. As the story progressed, I was drawn into what was happened and could not wait to learn about where Ugly Eyes came from. You could by Mrs. Myer’s writing that she did have detailed knowledge of the Congo being raised there. Overall, I did think that this was a good read. The Headhunter’s Daughter did peak my interest. I think I may check out Mrs. Myers’s The Witch Doctor’s Wife.
February 15, 2011
The Headhunter's Daughter takes place in the Belgian congo. An abandoned white infant is found and raised by a tribe of headhunters despite the color of her skin. The story discusses the differences between whites and blacks as well as the differences between tribes. Sometimes the book was hard to follow because Myers has different people narrating the story. I wasn't always sure at first who was talking. By the end of the story we learn the mystery surrounding the kidnapping of the infant. The book is a lesson that the color of one's skin does not make the person.
March 8, 2015
Really enjoy it! The writing is fresh, the story is funny and interesting. Would love to read more books in the series.
December 23, 2017
The story begins in the Belgian Congo in 1945 when the Mastermind’s plans to kidnap a baby are foiled after the servant doing the deed is bitten by a deadly snake. The child is snatched up by a young warrior from the Bashilele headhunting tribe. He brings the pale infant to the tribe where she is adopted by the headhunter’s wife and raised as a part of the tribe. Because her eyes are blue, she is known as Ugly Eyes. There is a mission within this territory as well as a Belgian company intent on exploiting the territory for its diamonds. There is also a police detail stationed in the area. The young white missionary, Amanda Brown hears about a white child living with the headhunters. She goes on a mission to rescue her. An older missionary couple, who are on their way to the United States having served their missionary time, are also involved. Ugly Eyes is now thirteen. The tribe is her only home and the other white people are as strange to her as they are to the natives, Several mysteries are resolved in the conclusion of the story. The reader learns the identity of the mastermind and the identity of Ugly Eyes. However, the strength of the story lies in observing the different worlds and how they misunderstand each other. The author was born in the Belgian Congo and depicts the physical and social setting with clarity. The whites are the least sympathetic since exploitation of the region and the people seems natural to the whites.
June 13, 2019
1950's Congo where Belgians etal are scooping diamonds before independence, the consortium's managers 3 week old daughter is kidnapped in an attempt to ransom her for a cache of diamonds. The nursemaid is bit by a snake leaving the baby to be found by a young man on a right-of -passage-ritual. He absconds with the baby and returns to his village. 13 years later word gets back that a white girl is being raised by a tribe of headhunters in the bush and she is "rescued".
I enjoyed the historical and cultural contexts, as well as the point of view of the native peoples. Most amusing was the natives trying to figure out the purpose and fit of the-garment-of-shameful-breasts. The whites weren't half as "civilized" and "rational" as the native people.
I also enjoyed the ensemble style of characters and circumstance. There was kidnapping, lechery, and murder. There was not a main action driving character that overcomes preposterous odds. Many times, as in the natural/real world the situation works out.
I will pickup the Witch Doctors Wife for a future read.
I enjoyed the historical and cultural contexts, as well as the point of view of the native peoples. Most amusing was the natives trying to figure out the purpose and fit of the-garment-of-shameful-breasts. The whites weren't half as "civilized" and "rational" as the native people.
I also enjoyed the ensemble style of characters and circumstance. There was kidnapping, lechery, and murder. There was not a main action driving character that overcomes preposterous odds. Many times, as in the natural/real world the situation works out.
I will pickup the Witch Doctors Wife for a future read.
April 23, 2011
A little dull. Interesting setting and cultural information but not an exciting story. I didn't connect to any of the characters really and there seemed to be extra people that really had nothing to do with the story. Overall not a book I would recommend.
June 1, 2021
Curious little tale. A baby is stolen, somewhat accidentally, by a member of a remote tribe in the Belgian Congo, in 1945. Years later a young missionary hears rumors of a white child in the jungle, and ultimately the two meet.
"Ugly Eyes", the white child, is now thirteen and upset at the tribe's custom of marrying off girls at her age. She wants out. At the same time, she has been raised by a loving family and knows no other life. So when she is confronted with white missionaries she holds her ground.
The young missionary, Amanda Brown, tries to make things right. But there is only so much that can be made right at this point.
Told with a lot of wit (not all of which I appreciated) and simplicity, the story gives us some understanding of those days of separation of white and black. And give us some knowledge about these remote tribes. I always appreciate these glimpses into lives I will never know.
"Ugly Eyes", the white child, is now thirteen and upset at the tribe's custom of marrying off girls at her age. She wants out. At the same time, she has been raised by a loving family and knows no other life. So when she is confronted with white missionaries she holds her ground.
The young missionary, Amanda Brown, tries to make things right. But there is only so much that can be made right at this point.
Told with a lot of wit (not all of which I appreciated) and simplicity, the story gives us some understanding of those days of separation of white and black. And give us some knowledge about these remote tribes. I always appreciate these glimpses into lives I will never know.
June 26, 2025
What is the deal with all the bashing of Europeans, particularly Belgians, and rather repeatedly throughout the book "fat Flemish housewives", and "sweating like Flemish whores"?? It took away most of the pleasure in reading this book.
And yes, I am Flemish, not fat, have never know more a few "fat Flemish housewives", 2 to be exact. And I have lived in the Belgian Congo as a child, around the 196os, although not in headhunter country.
Why did I read the 2nd book in the series? Thought that the author had maybe gotten over similar derogatory comments in the first book, and wanted to give it another try. Not sure I will bother with the next.
Clean it up, it would be rather enjoyable.
And yes, I am Flemish, not fat, have never know more a few "fat Flemish housewives", 2 to be exact. And I have lived in the Belgian Congo as a child, around the 196os, although not in headhunter country.
Why did I read the 2nd book in the series? Thought that the author had maybe gotten over similar derogatory comments in the first book, and wanted to give it another try. Not sure I will bother with the next.
Clean it up, it would be rather enjoyable.
February 18, 2018
Although I see this referred to as a mystery, it didn't strike me as a mystery, but just a good novel full of fascinating facts about the culture of the Belgian Congo of the fifties. The author has written another series (maybe more?) of mysteries set among the Amish, but the insights in this book goes back to her childhood as the daughter of missionaries living in this setting. I found it interesting to read, and loved the interplay between the different cultures, both tribal and racial. Now that I know it is the second in a series, I'll have to go back and read the first one for context.
October 12, 2018
A tribal woman is bitten by a snake as she cares for a white baby in the Congo before independence (late 1950s). The baby survives, is adopted by the Headhunter’s family, and named Ugly Eyes. Headhunter initiation was to kill a man and make a drinking cup of his skull. We see conflict between tribal groups, missionaries and so-called heathen, between French, Flemish, Belgian, English; black and white. Ugly Eyes grows up and meets other whites, but prefers living with the tribal people who brought her up in the village. Meet basenji, the barkless dog.
January 11, 2025
I enjoyed learning about the Belgian Congo just before it achieved independence. The characters in the novel are interesting. It is evident that while the white missionaries mean well, deep down they are very racist. It is also clear that the Belgian Congo is made up of so many different tribes with very different languages and cultures, it is no wonder that there has not been a clear, strong cohesive government since its founding. Tamar Myers does a great job describing the setting and has written an intriguing novel.
March 22, 2018
Cozy Mystery writer Tamar Myers grew up in Africa. Now she takes us all along for the journey in a mystery series set in the Belgian Congo in the mid-twentieth century. She uses her knowledge of the land and the people to describe the culture and the every day life. This adventure unfolds with the mystery of an abandoned white infant raised by a tribe of headhunters.
August 10, 2019
It's my first book to read regarding life in the Congo. After recently visiting Africa for the first time I found it an enlightening culturally relevant book. The fictional story is filled with nuances of cultural realities faced by African's difficult history. The story itself is intriguing--a page turner. Some of the storytelling is choppier than I prefer, but the pace kept me reading.
May 16, 2017
I'm not sure I'd really call this series mystery, but the descriptions of the country, racial conflicts and politics are very interesting. I like the characters a little better than I did in The Witch Doctor's Wife but the mystery part feels a little weak.
February 9, 2018
A great informative read!
I chose this rating because although I ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH , the thriller element that I love in a book just wasn't there as much as I like. I still would recommend this book as a great read.
I chose this rating because although I ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH , the thriller element that I love in a book just wasn't there as much as I like. I still would recommend this book as a great read.
July 31, 2018
It was alright- it took me a while to get all the characters straight, but then I enjoyed the mystery and the backdrop. It was funny at times, and it kept me on my toes long enough to be enjoyable, even if the ending didn’t quite make sense to me.
March 2, 2018
I wanted to care about at least one of the characters, but I really didn’t. I did enjoy the setting.
March 4, 2018
The first book in the series was much better. This one dragged a bit and had an ending that felt a bit too tidy.
July 18, 2018
The intercultural dialogue is hilarious
September 26, 2019
This was good. I will read the next one now.
October 6, 2019
This book is such an incredible look into tribal and colonial life in the Belgian Congo. Loving this series.
March 17, 2020
Excellent reading, this book had just enough of facts that makes it a very interesting read. With a hint of intrigue and humor makes it very difficult to put the book down.
October 1, 2022
Fun read told by someone who grew up in Colonial Africa. Amazing how much the world has changed!
August 4, 2023
A little hard to follow as story jumps around
December 29, 2025
too much talk, not enough story
June 5, 2018
I loved the first book in this series and liked this one equally well. It's a really interesting story. Part of what makes it so interesting and satisfying is that it doesn't present the headhunters as ignorant savages. It doesn't have the short factual information on animals and other features of the Congo at the beginning of each chapter like the first book did.
March 6, 2011
First Line: The gravel pits had been haunted for the past six years, ever since the first white woman drowned.
In 1945 an infant was left out by the gravel pits as a result of a botched kidnapping plot. The baby girl is found by a young Bashilele tribesman on his quest to claim the head of an enemy. The young boy takes the baby back to his tribe where she is raised as a member of his family-- even though her pale skin, straw-like hair and strange blue eyes mark her as being very different from the rest.
Thirteen years later, young missionary Amanda Brown hears the stories of a white girl living among the Bashilele headhunters. She enlists the help of the local police chief, Captain Pierre Jardin, and brings along the witch doctor's wife, Cripple, to act as translator. They find the young girl (now called "Ugly Eyes") and bring her back to the Missionary Rest House and "civilization". But the young white girl no longer belongs in Amanda Brown's world, and the secrets surrounding her birth and disappearance prove to be very deadly indeed.
Author Tamar Myers was born and raised in the Congo, so this is very familiar territory to her. (When reading the book, don't skip The Author Answers Some of Your Questions section at the end of the book where Myers talks about her life in Africa.)
The plot is well-paced and the mystery very intriguing. I didn't figure out the mastermind behind everything and did an "of course!" eye roll at the reveal.
Amanda is a good blend of strength and naivete. She truly wants to do the right thing even if that right thing doesn't coincide with what her judgmental elders believe-- and she has the delightful habit of speaking her mind before she can stop herself.
The book really shines in the setting and the clashing cultures. Myers delves a bit deeper into the Congo's tortured past as a colony under the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium and what the whites believe will happen when the Congo becomes independent in a couple of years.
The clashing cultures show to best advantage when Amanda's servants at the guest house try to decipher white behavior and dress. The scene where Cripple and Protruding Navel try to figure out how to put a bra on the young white girl is hilarious.
Returning to "civilization" after so many years, the young white girl probably has the best sense of the difference between the cultures:
"The laughter of women as they set about doing their daily chores. Next to her mother, that is what Ugly Eyes had missed the most about village life. White people were so serious, their mouths perpetually pulled down at the corners, their foreheads so quick to pucker. Ugly Eyes did not know of a single village woman who bore vertical creases between her eyes, yet almost every woman at the party the night before had at least the beginnings of one."
I enjoy this series for its truthfulness, gentleness, humor and unpredictability. There is more than meets the eye between their covers. The lasting image of the books for me is the resident gargantuan crocodile who lives at the bottom of the ravine next to the Missionary Rest House. Seldom ever seen, the crocodile is well fed, since the rest house throws its garbage down there. In addition, there have been times that the unwary human has stumbled at the edge and fallen... never to be seen again.
In 1945 an infant was left out by the gravel pits as a result of a botched kidnapping plot. The baby girl is found by a young Bashilele tribesman on his quest to claim the head of an enemy. The young boy takes the baby back to his tribe where she is raised as a member of his family-- even though her pale skin, straw-like hair and strange blue eyes mark her as being very different from the rest.
Thirteen years later, young missionary Amanda Brown hears the stories of a white girl living among the Bashilele headhunters. She enlists the help of the local police chief, Captain Pierre Jardin, and brings along the witch doctor's wife, Cripple, to act as translator. They find the young girl (now called "Ugly Eyes") and bring her back to the Missionary Rest House and "civilization". But the young white girl no longer belongs in Amanda Brown's world, and the secrets surrounding her birth and disappearance prove to be very deadly indeed.
Author Tamar Myers was born and raised in the Congo, so this is very familiar territory to her. (When reading the book, don't skip The Author Answers Some of Your Questions section at the end of the book where Myers talks about her life in Africa.)
The plot is well-paced and the mystery very intriguing. I didn't figure out the mastermind behind everything and did an "of course!" eye roll at the reveal.
Amanda is a good blend of strength and naivete. She truly wants to do the right thing even if that right thing doesn't coincide with what her judgmental elders believe-- and she has the delightful habit of speaking her mind before she can stop herself.
The book really shines in the setting and the clashing cultures. Myers delves a bit deeper into the Congo's tortured past as a colony under the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium and what the whites believe will happen when the Congo becomes independent in a couple of years.
The clashing cultures show to best advantage when Amanda's servants at the guest house try to decipher white behavior and dress. The scene where Cripple and Protruding Navel try to figure out how to put a bra on the young white girl is hilarious.
Returning to "civilization" after so many years, the young white girl probably has the best sense of the difference between the cultures:
"The laughter of women as they set about doing their daily chores. Next to her mother, that is what Ugly Eyes had missed the most about village life. White people were so serious, their mouths perpetually pulled down at the corners, their foreheads so quick to pucker. Ugly Eyes did not know of a single village woman who bore vertical creases between her eyes, yet almost every woman at the party the night before had at least the beginnings of one."
I enjoy this series for its truthfulness, gentleness, humor and unpredictability. There is more than meets the eye between their covers. The lasting image of the books for me is the resident gargantuan crocodile who lives at the bottom of the ravine next to the Missionary Rest House. Seldom ever seen, the crocodile is well fed, since the rest house throws its garbage down there. In addition, there have been times that the unwary human has stumbled at the edge and fallen... never to be seen again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews