OUR MAN IN MBABANE

Karl’s debut novel tells the story of an ordinary man who goes to extraordinary measures to fight apartheid in 1970s Swaziland.

It’s 1977, and Frank George is carrying a package for the African National Congress through a South African airport. This act of rebellion could land him in jail, but he manages to sneak through and get the package safely into the hands of a comrade. From there, Frank finds himself getting pulled deeper into the underground civil rights groups who are determined to overthrow the apartheid government. He settles in Swaziland, securing a job at a government statistical office while secretly transporting guns and munitions on behalf of the ANC. Along the way, he makes friends and contacts at the local university and falls in love with a local named Lindiwe Oliver, a nightclub singer. But Frank’s work becomes increasingly dangerous as the authorities begin bearing down on his underground gunrunning operation. And when an associate gets captured, it’s only a matter of time before Frank’s name is leaked. The fact that the novel is based on the author’s own experiences supporting the ANC in the 1970s and 1980s makes the story worth reading; there are also brief but effective scenes of suspense scattered liberally throughout—such as a gripping set piece where Frank must hide his shipment of guns in the woods to evade South African authorities. But such fleeting, heart-pounding moments can’t make up for ignoring the common writing advice of show, don’t tell. Narrative snippets like “My earlier tone indicated how fragile my state of mind was at the time,” and “You are reliable, complete all your tasks, and do not try to take charge” seem superfluous and should be implied through the characters’ actions. Much of the novel pans out this way—too much is explained instead of letting readers come to their own conclusions. This tendency slows the narrative pace and makes it so genuine moments of tension or excitement are few and far between.

An intermittently dramatic adventure story hampered by stilted dialogue and too much exposition.