Overview
Haunted by his late father's thirst for adventure, Alex Hickman persuaded his local newspaper that it needed a Balkan correspondent. Talking his way into besieged Sarajevo, he watched as the city's fragile ceasefire fell apart. A series of chance encounters took him to Albania and a bizarre appointment with the government. Thrown into an alliance with the country's colorful dissident leader, he found himself occupying a ringside seat as corruption and scandal spilled the country into chaos. This is a moving story of one man's search for his father's legacy among the mountains and ruin of Europe's oldest, and most mysterious corner.
Synopsis
Haunted by his late father's thirst for adventure, Alex Hickman persuaded his local newspaper that it needed a Balkan correspondent. Talking his way into besieged Sarajevo, he watched as the city's fragile ceasefire fell apart. A series of chance encounters took him to Albania and a bizarre appointment with the government. Thrown into an alliance with the country's colorful dissident leader, he found himself occupying a ringside seat as corruption and scandal spilled the country into chaos. This is a moving story of one man's search for his father's legacy among the mountains and ruin of Europe's oldest, and most mysterious corner.
Library Journal
Populated by varied locals, foreign travelers, and officials, this self-absorbed memoir has spy-novel elements, with named and unnamed officials and "shady" characters, including Mafia. The author interpolates his childhood memories, biographical sketches, and dreams of his brilliant physician father, who died young, and eventually concludes with the two strands converging, suggesting that his father's life was analogous to Albania's tragic history. Hickman is skilled at describing moods and atmosphere and creates some engaging episodes within this highly personal story. But with its superficial treatment of the region's history and tragic conditions, this book pales in comparison with other influential and well-founded works with a more serious approach to the subject, such as Robert D. Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts (LJ 2/15/93) and Robert Carter's The Accursed Mountains: Journey in Albania (John Murray, 1998). Not recommended.--Margaret W. Norton, Oak Park, IL Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.