A Road Through Mali-Kuli: A Novel

Review: A Road Through Mali-Kuli: A Novel By Agi Kiss Reviewed by Tracy Dobson Michigan State University, USA Agi Kiss. A Road Through Mali-Kuli: A Novel. Washington, DC: 1stBooks Library, 2001. 411 pp. ISBN 0-7596-4992-8 (paper). US$14.00. Acid-free paper. A well-written and highly engaging mystery, A Road Through Mali-Kuli stimulates thought about deeper questions of international development and environmental conservation. Along with her strong grasp of the international development arena, Kiss knows sub-Saharan Africa well. Her rich descriptions of the local scene give the reader a strong sense its sights, sounds, and smells. From the Delamere Terrace in a Nairobi hotel (a real place) to the raunchy Cock and Bull bar in Mwatumi, Rumura (a fictional African country), scenes will be familiar to those who frequent such places, and they will engage the imagination of readers who haven't. Including characters like the grubby and clueless Australian tourists and the old British couple sitting in a faded hotel lounge, sipping gin and muttering about the good old days gives the story a greater sense of authenticity. Kiss entertains the reader with a fast-paced mystery containing numerous unexpected twists and turns. She also foregrounds important questions about validity, efficacy, and morality of externally directed attempts to bring about sustainable development in developing nations. Speaking metaphorically of the difficulties involved, she describes the Mali Kuli forest: if you look at the forest from far away, it looks like a blanket of solid green. When you get a little closer, you see there are actually lots of different shades of green. And if you get right inside it ... you see it's also black, white and brown and yellow and red ... you can see every color in the world in the forest ... and so, the closer you look at something, the more complicated it becomes (p. 246). Who is Mr. Singh? Traveling back and forth between Nairobi and the Rumura, everyone seeks to meet this elusive man. The plot revolves around various expatriate efforts to save people and environment-typical northern development themes. Corruption is rife, from village yokels to top-level government officials and European expats who run illegal and/or immoral moneymaking schemes. The goods at issue are rare animal species and valuable hardwoods from the Mali Kuli Reserve. The bad guys try to plunder whatever they can from Rumura's rich but diminishing natural resource base. Thuggish police Captain Kamanga, his boss, and their French partner,