Haunting, though drawn out, tale of a Peace Corps volunteer returning to Africa 40 years after he left. He expects to continue his efforts at the school where he taught at the time of independence only to find that the school is in ruins and he is trapped in the small village. I stayed up late to find out whether his plans to escape worked. While I was drawn into the story (which is somewhat repetitive, maybe reflective of the main character's age), this was not my favorite Theroux novel.