Man in a Mud Hut

Ian Mathie
Mosaïque Press: €24.85

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Few Europeans could boast of going native in rural Africa but author Ian Mathie made a habit of living in remote tribal villages while spearheading water resource projects in the 1970s.

Living in what was then Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Mathie was tasked with chaperoning a Whitehall ferret being sent to audit another UK government-funded project in neighbouring Nigeria.

And so we are introduced to Desmond Parkis, a London-dwelling civil servant, propelled into deepest Africa who unsurprisingly experienced a culture shock of epic proportions.

Man in a Mud Hut sounds like a humorous yarn, and many of the anecdotes certainly are, but underneath is a deeper story of high-level corruption involving the oil industry, prominent officials, and sinister black magic…

As Desmond discovers evidence to suggest grisly foul play and profiteering at the heart of big business, and being unwittingly funded by the UK taxpayer, he witnesses macabre practices that have inexplicable and unpleasant consequences.

Along the way, Desmond gradually begins to adapt to his surroundings and by the time he returns to London, he’s made friends with the locals and garnered the respect of his African hosts.

This is the second installment of Ian Mathie’s African memoirs and like Bride Price, we are treated to an entertaining book that includes a plethora of kooky characters who add colour and richness to an already fascinating tale.

Shelley Antscherl
ShelleyDutchNews@me.com