East of Africa, South of India

by Jacques K. Lee

It’s the 1960s and Miraucia is not ready for independence, but the Americans want one of its dependencies for its latest military base in the Indian Ocean. The British ensure this colony of theirs is granted independence without delay and even forcibly remove all the dependency’s inhabitants to Miraucia.

Lovena Pillay and Robert Laurent are students – and lovers – in London at the time and they vow to fight for the return of the uprooted islanders to their atoll. Once back home, the pair find Miraucia a near-bankrupt country where even graduates can’t find work. Protagonist Pillay creates her own employment by forming a political party and she and Laurent become arch political rivals.

Unlike conventional story telling, part of East of Africa, South of India is told in the ‘fourth person’ – through the pages of the written media. This tongue-in-cheek account shows what can happen when too much power is achieved by novice politicians in the name of democracy and the upshot is a satire on Third World politics. Now Lady Lovena Patten and Baron Sir Robert Laurent, the former lovers are finally reconciled – but they’re no ordinary lovers. Before long they discover that when it comes to fighting for the survival of their parties, love and politics don’t mix.

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