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McCauley's short stories about Sierra Leone invoke the palpable heat and despair of that country in the 1980s. Each one is a well-crafted gem that plucks the reader out of his chair and plops him down on the side of the road to watch the action unfold and the characters come to life. His rendering of scenes and places is spot on, so much so that I could taste the dust kicked up by his motorcycle, feel the oppressive humidity, and smell the approaching thunder storm. Superb!

These nine stories mostly deal with the interactions between white people from developed nations and the black people of Sierra Leone during a period of political and economic instability. The effects of these problems intensify the imbalances of authority and power and cause the characters to reveal very interesting aspects of themselves that would not be evident in a more tranquil and prosperous place and time. These are not stories about happy people and some of the best behavior exhibited results from acquiescence.

The quality of the writing is consistently very good and all of the nine stories move along on interesting action and dialogue. They are very convincing and I would not be surprised to learn that they were all based on real events to some degree or another. Together they manage to create something larger, a view of Sierra Leone in the 1990s.

The ability to communicate real insight into the essential aspects of humanity is evident here and I recommend this collection very highly. It is not for everyone but anyone interested in reading it should not be disappointed.