“This is a very good book; a debut novel, well-paced and full of energy. It is really an old-fashioned story - exotic locales, murder, clashes of cultures - told from various viewpoints and at various times. Berlinski presents a very clear balance between the anthropologists' roles and the missionaries' goals in gaining understanding of a remote Thai tribe. I loved his telling of the linguistic difficulties that arise in peoples who do not have a written language. The misunderstandings of language and customs were treated with humor and compassion. Above all, I loved the lush, rich botanical descriptions. If there was anything I had a problem with, it was the ending. This isn't a who-dun-it but a why-dun-it, and that kind of fizzled for me. But, the novel, in its entirety, is wonderful and I can't wait to read Berlinski's next book.”
carlags wrote this review Sunday, October 4, 2009.
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