The Whistler
- Product information
- by Ondjaki, translated from the Portuguese by Richard Bartlett
- Star rating
- Product link
- http://www.aflamebooks.com
- Product number
- Aflame Books, ISBN 9780955233975
This beautifully crafted fable by Angolan author Ondjaki casts a spell on the reader that resonates far beyond its brief span, sending a message of hope from a country ravaged by decades of strife.
The book is set in an unnamed, dirt-poor village where the action takes place over the course of one week. A stranger wanders into the village and takes up residence in the church. He begins to whistle, a sound so unprecedented and so enchanting that it moves those who hear it – not only humans but also the local pigeons and donkeys – to transports of delight.
Throughout the week, gossip spreads around the village that something out of the ordinary is planned for that Sunday’s Mass. As the ceremony approaches, excitement mounts and, on the day itself, the Whistler’s tunes send the congregation into ecstatic celebrations which culminate in a mass orgy involving the whole village, including some very unfortunate chickens!
The Whistler is a shout of joy in the face of unimaginable adversity and its message is both deeply humane and universal.
PW
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