| George Grey is a retiring mariner. He has spent the last several decades in West Africa, far from home and family. His wife left him a long time ago and took their only daughter with her. Upon his retirement George has nowhere he wants to go. He has money and "friends" and tries to return to England to catch up with them and his daughter. Although welcomed by his neighbors and daughter he cannot forget his love and life in West Africa.
George feels alienated from his daughter, who is an accomplished writer and intellectual, and also pregnant. He holds no interest in his "friends" who he disdains rather than likes. Always he thinks back to his life in Africa. He has nothing in common with his mother country, which, after his long absence, is a forign land to him. To relieve the social pressures he feels upon returning home to England he buys a small boat. He feels comfortable on the water and this lifestyle pleases him; he even begins a relationship with a former pop singer. When a war breaks out in his former homeland of Montedor he longs for news of his friends there. Finding none George comforts himself in a long journey, to where we aren't told but can guess. | ||
|
Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - 1980's-1999 Internal struggle/realization? Yes Struggle over Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 60's-90's Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - society Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 () Europe Yes European country: - England/UK Africa Yes Kind of Africa: - Black Africa Water? Yes Water: - pleasure/love boat - sail boat Writing Style Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references only Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
||