{"product_id":"the-second-coming-of-mavala-shikongo-a-novel-0316066338","title":"The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0316066338\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Orner, Peter\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e New\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet in Namibia just after independence in the early 1990s, Peter Orner's first novel is a chronicle of the long days, short loves, and cold nights at Goas, an all-boys Catholic primary school so deep in the veld that \"even the baboons feel sorry for us.\"Though physically isolated in semi-desert beneath a relentless sun, the people of Goas create an alternate, more fertile universe through the stories they tell each other. The book's central character is Mavala Shikongo, a combat veteran who fought in Namibia's long war for independence against South Africa.She has recently returned to the school -- with a child, but no husband. Mavala is modern, restless, and driven, in sharp contrast to conservative Goas. All the male teachers (including a bumbling but observant volunteer from Cincinnati) try not to fall in love with her. Everyone fails -- immediately and miserably. This extraordinary first novel explores the history of a place through the stories of its people. But above all it's about the fleetingness of love and the endurance of fellowship.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mia Karts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51737320718624,"sku":"NEW0316066338","price":16.22,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0980\/7426\/3840\/files\/71MoNC6OpgL.jpg?v=1779558250","url":"https:\/\/miakarts.com\/products\/the-second-coming-of-mavala-shikongo-a-novel-0316066338","provider":"Miakarts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}