White Lies by Dexter Petley

White Lies

Dexter Petley

A bitter-sweet love story which begins with a massive romantic gesture as Norman reads about Joy, a 'gold panning missionary' and sets out for Uganda to find and marry her. Language and descriptions are beautifully done - both precise and lush with images of decay. However, if you yearn for a happy ending - this might not be for you.

Extract
If anything it was a meeting between one young man who'd found nothing to believe in, and a young woman about to demolish everything she'd ever believed in. This leaves no room for distinction. The only species to emerge is singular and self devouring. Two survivors fighting over a lifebelt.

It was unjust, I know, but I felt deceived by Joy. I was angry with my imagination too, for sanctifying someone I was never going to like. An imagination which had more or less turned this gold panning missionary into an alchemist of the soul. The same imagination which, now angry, became perverse and said: here's the woman you're going to marry anyway, whether you like it or not ....

Parallels
  • A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali by Gil Courtemanche
  • The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett