The Story of Bones

by Donna Cousins

Overview

Grounded in the grandeur of the sub-Saharan wilderness, The Story of Bones traces a remarkable boy's journey from a hardscrabble cassava farm to the rarified world of a private African safari camp.

Bones comes of age facing heartache, deprivation, and formidable human adversaries--the most dangerous creatures in Africa. His path to love and fulfillment awakens a passion for imperiled animals while forging loyalties that force him to make a wrenching decision.

The narrative pulses with tension and unforeseen twists. Provocative and moving, The Story of Bones builds to a powerful appeal for the preservation of Africa's most endangered species. An author at the peak of her storytelling powers, Donna Cousins transports readers to the sights, sounds, smells, and realities--both harsh and beautiful--of the African bush.

Foreword INDIES 2018 Book of the Year Finalist in two categories: General Adult Fiction and Multicultural Adult Fiction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781532035449
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.55(d)

Editorial Reviews

2018-03-26
A sequel set in sub-Saharan Africa about a boy who grows to adulthood, becomes a safari guide, and takes a stand against poachers and a childhood nemesis.In Cousins' previous novel, Waiting for Bones (2011, etc.), American tourists on a photo safari face a life-or-death struggle to survive in the African wilderness when their guide, Bones,disappears, his fate a mystery. This novel came about, Cousins says in an author's note, because the question of Bones' disappearance was "too intriguing to ignore." Her answer is an inspired, eventful coming-of-age story. It starts with Bones' remembering his life as an impoverished 10-year-old boy, living on a small farm in his African village; he's a gifted young carpenter who eventually realizes his dream career as a safari guide. Bones' passion for knowledge and his soulful connection to nature—especially for elephants, whose populations are being decimated by ruthless poachers armed with military-grade weapons—shape the man he later becomes. So does a loss, chillingly depicted in the book's first chapter, that affects his whole family; it also presages what's to come in the unsavory form of a man named Skinner, a sadistic bully-turned-dangerous adversary. A skillful storyteller, Cousins gives weight and color to small events, such as the processes of crafting a wooden drawer and curing and drying impala meat, and to pivotal scenes, such as the horrific slaughter of an elephant herd. The environments of the village and wilderness are keenly observed, as is the book's rich cast of characters, including Bones' love interest, Mima Swale; Granny Nobbs and her attack chickens; cousin Squeak, who's lost to a crocodile ("Death was never far from our world"); nurturing Uncle Stash; and hefty truck driver Chiddy, who has a face "as round and shiny as a kukui nut." Although it isn't necessary to have read the previous book, those who have will appreciate how the author gives Bones' abandonment of the American tourists a sense of high-stakes urgency.A deeply felt coming-of-age story rich with respect for the natural world.

Kirkus Reviews