Book review: DJIBOUTI.

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.Powered by WP Greet Box WordPress PluginDjibouti, a small country on the Horn of Africa, was a for a long time, a French colony.

It declared its independence in 1977, but still maintains important cultural and economic ties with France. The French influence the architecture and culture of Djibouti, and to this day the city has a French look about it. Although the approximately one million population is 94 per cent Muslim, French wine and spirits are widely available and consumed by all.

At one time it was a gateway to Arab commerce flowing to Africa; today it is where Islam meets Christianity.

Khat is widely used by mostly Somali the population of Afar origin.

Elmore Leonard captures in this fascinating novel the pirate culture that has established itself. Rich Somalis and Saudis who benefit handsomely from the ransom their underlings negotiate and receive finance the pirates.

In this novel the author tells the story of an award-winning American documentary filmmaker, who travels to Djibouti to film pirates and their handlers. In the process she meets other rich and adventurous Texans, as well as black Americans who converted to Islam in a Florida penitentiary upon the promise of rich rewards and adventure.

This action-filled, highly informative novel reveals many details about ordinary North Americans cannot imagine, and what actually happens in the criminal underworld of piracy.

Elmore Leonard’s style is engaging, “modern” and flows beautifully from chapter to chapter. The book is essentially a page-turner.

The Reader feels compelled to anticipate the next move of all characters involved. The novels end in New Orleans with one character killing another in an altercation.

A fascinating novel for all who like to read exotic places and novels with a lot of action.