The civil war in Mozambique has ended but still the local soldiers are being hit by the landmines that litter the ground. When United Nations peacekeepers begin to suffer too, a high-level delegation visits the village of Tizangara, to initiate an investigation. Alongside representatives of central government and UN officials is an Italian, Massimo Risi, who has been charged with the business of finding out what happened. Risi?s interpreter has collated information for posterity based on taped interviews, letters and witness accounts, documents which form the backbone of this book, as he narrates it. Global issues are seen from a local African perspective in this subtle and playful novel, in which Mia Couto blends oral storytelling techniques with his customary originality and flair.

Translated by: David Brookshaw