From the rear cover
Kwaku is back; a small-time chiseller and ineffective healer in a village in Guyana but now down in the dumps: his wife has gone blind, his twin sons brutalize him, he is toppled from his perch as a healer and becomes once again the laughing stock of all and sundry. But fate intervenes, and Kwaku's fortunes are resurrected as he makes his way to Georgetown to become a dealer in 'antique' chamber pots. With a recommendation and some borrowed cash from an old woman whose son has become a government minister, he embarks on an odyssey in search of riches, only to find himself a lowly servant of the corrupt minister who steals his ideas and sends him on demeaning errands designed to further the minister's financial scams, sexual peccadillos and political intrigues. Kwaku now faces the dilemma of going under - the fate of so many who migrate from the country to the town - or adapting his character to suit his urban existence. What distinguishes this novel is the closely observed psychological metamorphosis of Kwaku. Just barely escaping from a murderous gang, he finally succeeds in establishing himself as a respected, wealthy citizen - whilst remaining, of course, his own inimitable, infuriating, brilliantly engaging self. In this bright and comic novel, Roy Heath deals vividly with the social and political conflicts and conundrums facing the nouveaux riches in the third world and the staggeringly poor, emerging into independence and unheard-of prospects. The colourful language of the characters is perfectly captured, and their shenanigans and valour are depicted with wit and compassion.
Details
- Title The Ministry of Hope
- Author Roy Heath
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition First Edition
- Pages 320
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Marion Boyars Publishers, United Kingdom
- Date March 1997
- ISBN 9780714530154 / 0714530158
- Weight 0.72 lbs (0.33 kg)
- Dimensions 8.6 x 5.78 x 1.03 in (21.84 x 14.68 x 2.62 cm)
- Library of Congress subjects Humorous stories, City and town life - Fiction
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 96008215
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
Media reviews
Citations
- Booklist, 03/01/1997, Page 1110
- Kirkus Reviews, 12/01/1996, Page 1691
- Library Journal, 11/15/1996, Page 88
- New York Times, 05/11/1997, Page 33
- Publishers Weekly, 11/18/1996, Page 63
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The Ministry of Hope
by Heath, Roy A.K.
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Heath, Roy
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The Ministry Of Hope
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The Ministry Of Hope
by Roy Heath
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The Ministry of Hope : A Novel
by Roy Heath
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First edition of the last novel of acclaimed Guyanese writer Roy Heath. Reduced to destitution after losing his status as village faith healer, Kwaku Cholmondeley migrates to Guyana's capital city to sell antique chamber pots to tourists. Instead, he finds an impersonal, corrupt culture and the patronage of an enterprising civil servant at the Ministry of Hope whose spotless reputation for honesty is exceeded only by his corruption. After numerous embarrassments suffered in adjusting to city ways Kwaku's fortunes rise, but the morals and sanity of those around him couldn't be lower. Billed as a comic novel, this is really a dark, psychological study of the ways corruption, prejudice, and superstition… Read More
The Ministry of Hope
by Heath, Roy
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THE MINISTRY OF HOPE.
by Heath, Roy.
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The Ministry of Hope
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