In this unputdownable saga, Charlie K is suddenly thrust from a stone age society, to the alien culture of American schooling and university life. He encounters romance, violent racism and adventure.
Overnight, the young man has to cope with extreme racial prejudice. He suffers violence but also experiences generosity of spirit, in an otherwise inward-looking America. We follow not only his adventures in the US, but later when he returns to his own country. He is living in a remote tribal area with vividly described episodes featuring unexpected and exciting encounters.
The Evolution of Charlie K follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of a young native man from one of the most extraordinary countries in the world. It draws on the effects of war on his country during WW2. A country which, after its independence in 1975, is still a largely tribal society.
This is not my review because I wrote the book but this 5* review was just posted on Amazon:
This is a very good and intriguing book. It follows the life of a young Papua New Guinea boy, Charlie K, from the days when PNG was still administered by Australia until independence. The cultures of the indigenous tribes and the mores of the ruling Australian police administraors are superbly captured, sometimes humorosly, sometimes sadly by someone who has clearly lived there.
Serendipity means that Charlie K receives an American education during which he continually compares and contrasts his student life in the USA with life back home. While proving a more than able student, he observes the American way of life from the viewpoint of a foreign black man.
The reader follows Charlie K's adventures from an uncertain boy and confused young man until he finally settles into confident fatherhood, at ease in his own skin.
Charlie K turns out to be an attractive, likeable person. Just like this book, in fact.
Let your children enjoy the wonders and adventures of pets that join a family, bringing joy and heartwarming moments to their everyday lives. This story is about Tubby and Riley, two dogs who needed a good, loving home.
