Human love

by Andreï Makine

Elias Almeida, a self-declared "professional revolutionary", dreams of an Africa where independence and political change will also transform people into "better human beings." His escape and survival bring him in contact with a range of teachers and mentors, nurturing in him a mixture of Christian ethics and Marxist ideology. His training takes him from Angola to Cuba, the Soviet Union and back to his home country, where, he believes, he will fight for the realization of his vision of the future. His intentions to do the right thing are undermined by adverse circumstances.