This is an intuiging book by Henning Mankell, who is not only involved in solving crimes, but also in the African country of Mozambique. He writes childre’s books and plays. In this book he approaches life from a different angle again.

Father Raul has landed in Mozambique to tell the people about the man who was nailed to the cross. On his way this father meets all kinds of people. Through all these people stories are being told, each from their perspective. You have to be clearminded to follow all the different stories and put them them together.

It is clear that Mankell does not keep the christian faith in high esteem. This story about the man at the cross has tried to wipe away all the stories that were present already in the country and with the people. Mankell does not want to say that the past was better (at least, that is what I understood), but he still wants to echo the stories of the people he meets.

On page 251 (of the Dutch translation) the story ends like this: “The story never ends. The story of man, who continously is being swept ashore like driftwood, at the unending shore of time.”

Henning Mankell – Berättelse pa tidens strand – 1998