Now in paperback from London Times columnist Paul Pickering—the breathtaking story of a young pianist who travels through the Congo to meet a former mentor with whom he shares a dark past, falling in love with a Congolese army officer’s wife along the way. • A renowned writer: A seasoned journalist and novelist, Paul Pickering has traversed the globe for his stories. For , he undertook an expedition down the Congo River, from Kisangani to Kinshasa, to craft a novel brimming with authenticity of a majestically beautiful country torn apart by civil war. • A captivating story of love and war: The Democratic Republic of Congo has been embroiled in a civil war since 1998, during which more than 5 million people have been killed. provides a searing look at both the atrocities committed, particularly against women, and the resiliency of its people to soldier on in the face of constant uncertainty. It is a beguiling story of greed, power, and ever-changing alliances, of the consequences of misplaced idealism and betrayal, and of the lengths people will go to for love.