Customer Reviews

Back to the Congo

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Here's another book by that almost MK (missionary kid--Lieve Joris' uncle was a Catholic missionary). To those who have lived in Congo, it will bring back many, many memories. She was on a quest to see where her uncle had worked. The ship taking her to Congo was full of Belgian colonials who had a rather prejudiced view of Congo and its people, which she took with a grain of salt. Her visit to her uncle's mission station in Lower Congo was detailed, but a bit lacking in the warmth of hospitality that we know could have been there. Did you ever ride a motorcycle or a taxi in Kinshasa's "cité"? I did, and maybe you regret that you didn't, and now you can have the experience safely and vicariously. So many familiar scenes here. The book was first published in Flemish in 1987, but one has the impression that her voyage was earlier in the Mobutu era.

A flight to Gbodolite, Mobutu's town, introduces us to that spot in its heyday, and a particular baron of the regime, living in style. You will be regaled by the adventures and misadventures on this long riverboat voyage by Joris. She warms more and more to Congo as the book progresses.

Kisangani the declining city gets a not very complimentary introduction, and she accurately takes the pulse of Lubumbashi and Kolwezi by traveling with a young Congolese man. Her final encounter with the security police of Kisangani and then Kinshasa ends the book on an unfortunately realistic sour note. But you will find it worthwhile to relive a voyage to Congo with Lieve Joris.

Hi All,

As I am working in the middle of the jungle, (Kindu) DRC I was honoured to accomodate Lieve for 14 days in my house overthere.
Great lady.
So once back home I started reading her book BACK TO CONGO? PLEASANT READING AS i TOOK ONLY 3 DAYS TO FINISH IT;
Next one will be dance of the leopard........
Lieve, Good luck for the future and keep on writing........
Always welcome to Kindu and thanks again for the pan-cackes

This book is about the first journey of Lieve Joris to Africa. And in my opinion you can feel/read between the lines that she is travelling like this the first time. Though I had some problems getting through the first 70 pages, I became to like to book/story very much. After those first 70 pages and having overcome the cruiseship and the typical people, the real adventure unravels. Lieve Joris gave me a view of Africa that I will never experience. First of all Zaire is now the Republic of Congo. Secondly I would not dare to travel like she does, therefore this book is a dedicated window to Africa for me. I like the way Joris writes, somehow like a journalist getting into her subject. Not like a novelist at all. This book was my hypertextlink to Conrads 'Heart of Darkness', for Joris travels the same river into dark Africa.