Oil on Water by Helon Habila
By Beverly Jackson • Aug 29th, 2011 • Category: Book Review 2011 •
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Oil on Water is the masterful third novel by Helon Habila, and once again the author tackles another timely topic, this time the deadly politics of oil in the Niger Delta. The wife of a British oil executive has been kidnapped by a group of militants, and this in itself is not necessarily newsworthy as it is a common enough occurrence in the region with its own rules for the exchange of monies and the release of the kidnapped person. As journalists are usually involved to help facilitate the process, Rufus, a young journalist, takes the assignment to find “the white woman”, as he senses this could be his big break. He is excited to work with his mentor, Zaq, a once-renowned journalist who has fallen from grace and now lives in an alcoholic haze. But, a seemingly routine event takes an unexpected turn which leads Rufus and Zaq on a life-threatening and introspective journey. Through this adventure, both Rufus and the reader will be often reminded of Zaq’s sage advice, “Remember, the story is not always the final goal.”
One of the strengths of this enthralling story is the unfolding of the tale through Rufus’ memory that is often patchy and hallucinatory matching it to the environment with its twists and turns in the river, and the hidden islands appearing and disappearing before your eyes. This provides a cinematic quality as the scenes are vividly painted for the reader, making the Niger Delta as much a character as Rufus and Zaq. The expert storytelling allows the reader to feel empathy for the characters that live in an environment where often who is the good guy and who is the bad guy is dependent on the breathtaking tricks of chance that can result in life or death in a second.
Using Rufus, as the detective in this mystery allows for the exploration of journalism as a vehicle for being the voice of the people, and showing the frustration of reining in the truth when political and money forces are spinning the tale to their own making. Through Rufus starts out searching for “the white woman,” he ends up finding something more transformative and profound, and the reader is right there with him feeling the potent mix of humanity with the sharp edge of nervous anticipation of the truth.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it was part armchair adventure, part cautionary tale, and part social documentary. Oil on Water provides a portrait of the Niger Delta and the people who live there. The author deserves the accolades as he took an unsettling subject and captured it in a calming and haunting way that stays with me long after I have read the last page.
I recommend this book to readers of literary fiction and those who are interested in environmental and energy issues.
Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO Literary Book Review.
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Beverly Jackson is is a recent transplant to the Charlotte, North Carolina area. She is an avid reader, and there are very few times you will catch her without a book. Several years ago, she changed her dining room into a library with wall to ceiling bookshelves. She loves sharing her enthusiasm for reading with others and writing book reviews is a way she shares her thoughts. For the last twenty years, she has worked in the technology field for an international consulting firm, but is easing her way into retirement. Her biggest accomplishment is raising two daughters to be productive citizens of society, and they have blessed her with five wonderful grandchildren. Some of her other interest are traveling, watching sports and practicing yoga. And her latest toy is her Kindle which allows her to carry around her library in her purse.
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