{"product_id":"the-second-coming-of-mavala-shikongo-9780316066334","title":"The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo","description":"\u003cb\u003eSet in Namibia just after independence in the early 1990s, Peter Orner's first novel is a chronicle of the long days, short loves, and cold nights at Goas, an all-boys Catholic primary school so deep in the veld that \"even the baboons feel sorry for us.\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Though physically isolated in semi-desert beneath a relentless sun, the people of Goas create an alternate, more fertile universe through the stories they tell each other. The book's central character is Mavala Shikongo, a combat veteran who fought in Namibia's long war for independence against South Africa. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e She has recently returned to the school -- with a child, but no husband. Mavala is modern, restless, and driven, in sharp contrast to conservative Goas. All the male teachers (including a bumbling but observant volunteer from Cincinnati) try not to fall in love with her. Everyone fails -- immediately and miserably. This extraordinary first novel explores the history of a place through the stories of its people. But above all it's about the fleetingness of love and the endurance of fellowship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter Orner\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of three widely praised books, \u003ci\u003eEsther Stories\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eLove and Shame and Love\u003c\/i\u003e. His work has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eAtlantic Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Best American Short Stories\u003c\/i\u003e, and has been awarded two Pushcart Prizes. A former Guggenheim Fellow, Orner is now a faculty member at San Francisco State University.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Back Bay Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50410512711954,"sku":"9780316066334","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_ddb0f679-5744-410c-a909-763382dbe390.jpg?v=1729304404","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-second-coming-of-mavala-shikongo-9780316066334","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}