Customer Reviews

Hello to the Cannibals : A Novel

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Mary Kingsley was a brilliant, self-educated, articulate, well read, strong willed, Victorian woman. For thirty-one years she was trapped in the roles of maid and caregiver to her family, until her parents died. Only then, could she finally escape her circumscribed life in England, to follow her wanderlust --- to pack up and travel. As a result, she became one of the first females to brave the mysterious environs of West Africa. Her book, TRAVELS IN WEST AFRICA, remains a classic to this day.

A part of Kingsley's legacy is to be found in her stoicism and loyalty; in her honesty and courage; in her commitment to her family, and unwavering devotion to her friends; the men whose respect she gained as a writer, a traveler, and a humane being. In HELLO TO THE CANNIBALS, Richard Bausch's latest novel, he writes both beautifully and lovingly as he celebrates the life of his heroine.

"I wanted in particular to write a book about friendship, and about the affections we form for those who have gone before us. Some of what Mary Kingsley is known to have done is here, all of it in a form that is transmuted by fancy ... ," writes Bausch in his authors' notes.

But Bausch does not simply give us Mary Kingsley's story as a straight, dry narrative of "faction"; rather, he segues back and forth from Victorian England to the American south of the late nineteen eighties to offer readers a second voice, that of Lily Austin, who becomes not only the reader's guide to Kingsley's extraordinary life, but also confides the confusions she must reconcile on her own journey to some kind of self fulfillment.

Lily's dream is to write a play about Kinglsey, working title: HELLO TO THE CANNIBALS. She is the daughter of theater people and has been enchanted by Kingsley since her fourteenth birthday, when she received a book of famous explorers. Kingsley, of course, was the only female. Lily is inspired by this woman's larger than life accomplishments and is determined to celebrate her on the stage.

Bausch's strategy is ingenious: he frames his story through fictional letters and journals from the past juxtaposed against the ones Lily writes in the present. As the novel unfolds Lily begins to write to Mary in the same way Mary "wrote in her journals to a fictionalized reader in the future". We learn about both women in long lyrical passages that seem to compress time and put them in the same space. The architecture of the book is riveted by the similarities in the women without losing the sharp contrasts between them.

This works beautifully because Bausch uses language and events like an alchemist to create an atmosphere wherein the women seem to become "friends". Bausch's writing is so skillful, his genius for setting so real, his ear for dialogue pitch perfect, his gift for plot unmatched and his ability to seamlessly segue back and forth from nineteenth century England to the American south in the twentieth century, resembles the fabric of a tightly woven tapestry imbued with historical veracity and contemporary angst.

HELLO TO THE CANNIBALS is a deeply moving novel. It speaks to the loss of innocence all children experience as they grow up, especially that "special" pain when youngsters begin to understand that their parents, like everyone else, are not perfect; it deals with women's sexuality or lack of it, in sympathetic understatement; it presents psychological and geographical terrain that Mary and Lily both learn to navigate; it presents the breadth of diversity in the different kinds of marriages and friendships people are bound up in. And, Bausch proposes that the most important lesson for all of us is to learn that self respect is gained not only by sacrifice to others but, too, in one's ability to recognize one's own intrinsic needs and when the time is right we must generate the courage needed to garner what is most valuable to our self growth and individuation...

A major achievement-- two engrossing narratives interwoven, each featuring a tough, idealistic, unusual young woman who makes her own path through life. The characters are so convincing they might be your family or your old college roommates. My favorite novel of the year.

Not only did I love learning about the real life adventures of the explorer Mary Kingsley, I was also genuinely moved by and completely imvolved in the life of the fictional Lily Austin. The two storylines weave in and out of each other beautifully and I find myself thinking of these women as if I've spent time with them in real life. A winner!

Richard Bausch's "Hello To The Cannibals" is an amazing tale of two women who never meet. This interwoven book of a young Victorian women and a modern day girl takes off into an unexpected world of discovery. I loved the language, characters, settings (both modern and historical) and thought it blended beautifully into both worlds.

Mr. Bausch is a gifted storyteller with many many wonderful voices inside - waiting to tell their own stories. Can't wait for more of his work... a real triumph!

What's not to like about this book? The writing is top notch, the characters are all finely drawn, and the unusual storyline makes it a page turner. I had never heard of Mary Kingsley and greatly enjoyed discovering her through this well-crafted novel; after researching her further, I was pleased to learn that many events in the novel were real. Those who are so critical of "Hello to the Cannibals" must not like books that gracefully interweave adventure, nature, passion, heartbreak, danger, wrenching grief, and tenderness. Read only if you long to explore the jungles of the human heart.

I loved it. I was completely inside his characters from the get-go, and they haven't let me go yet. Hurrah for character driven writing! Thank you, thank you.

I don't know where to begin. I enjoyed this book so much. I was first attracted to the book because of the premise, two different people, from two different times in history, writing letters to each other, finding this way to express their fears, doubts, and pleasures of life. (Don't worry, this is not science fiction, the letters were a "literary" tool.
I found myself so involved with the people and characters in this book, I thought about them when I was away, looking forward to picking the book back up.I must admit, about half way through, I slowed myself down as I was reading. I am a pretty fast reader, and I find with books and authors I love, I have to force myself to slow down, and make the experience last longer. This is one of those books.
I really can't find the words to explain what it was about this book that touched me so much, or kept me so involved, but Mr. Bausch, thanks for the experience that I had with this book.

I picked up this book after hearing Bausch's excellent talk at the Northwest Book Festival. He came off as extremely articulate, knowledgeable, and truly caring about the quality of his writings.

I was ready for an interesting and lively story about a present day modern woman, and her interest in a truly amazing woman explorer that bucked all societies rules. I looked forward to great tales of strong women, and the things they achieved and overcame.

Instead, I received annoying stereo-typical characters and unimagineably boring situations. Once the story moved to the most artificial and completely annoying 'southern household', I totally lost hope and stopped reading (page 211).

I can only recommend this if you are a lover of mindless daytime soap operas.

Bausch has been called a master storyteller for good reason. This is one of the most honest and beautiful books that I have ever read and if you do not feel the same than there is something fundamentally wrong with you. You will know Mary and Lily like they are members of your own family. You care for them deeply. This is a rare, special book. Enjoy it!

I also heard the author speak at the NW bookfest and was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The Mary Kingsley story is the saving grace, the modern woman's story didn't strike me as authentic or interesting and I found myself skimming those sections. Not horrible, but I cannot recommend it.