{"product_id":"the-second-coming-of-mavala-shikongo-paperback","title":"The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePeter Orner\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSet in Namibia just after independence in the early 1990s, Peter Orner's first novel is a chronicle of the long days, short loves, and cold nights at Goas, an all-boys Catholic primary school so deep in the veld that \"even the baboons feel sorry for us.\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Though physically isolated in semi-desert beneath a relentless sun, the people of Goas create an alternate, more fertile universe through the stories they tell each other. The book's central character is Mavala Shikongo, a combat veteran who fought in Namibia's long war for independence against South Africa. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e She has recently returned to the school -- with a child, but no husband. Mavala is modern, restless, and driven, in sharp contrast to conservative Goas. All the male teachers (including a bumbling but observant volunteer from Cincinnati) try not to fall in love with her. Everyone fails -- immediately and miserably. This extraordinary first novel explores the history of a place through the stories of its people. But above all it's about the fleetingness of love and the endurance of fellowship.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter Orner\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of three widely praised books, \u003ci\u003eEsther Stories\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eLove and Shame and Love\u003c\/i\u003e. His work has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eAtlantic Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Best American Short Stories\u003c\/i\u003e, and has been awarded two Pushcart Prizes. A former Guggenheim Fellow, Orner is now a faculty member at San Francisco State University.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 8.2 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 15, 2016\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAward:\u003c\/strong\u003e Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize (2006)\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAward:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bard Fiction Prize (2007)\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42092229918855,"sku":"9780316066334","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/56808549b38acf87f36c6f4c2883ee43.webp?v=1732299445","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/the-second-coming-of-mavala-shikongo-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}