Review by Sonja Jacobs -- Followers of Lightning

[Sonja Jacobs]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Followers of Lightning" by Charles Bentley.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The main character in The Followers of Lightning by Charles Bentley shows a man that struggles to stay in the job market once he completed his studies. As a botanist doing research, funding becomes limited and the narrator eventually loses his job. As a result, his relationship with his girlfriend is also in jeopardy. Finding himself in a pit of inner turmoil, he jumped at the opportunity of a job offer to become a bio-prospector in search of medicinal plants that can be used in the pharmaceutical industry.

This opportunity leads him to the southern parts of Africa. Originally from Zimbabwe, the narrator feels at home when he realizes his new job will take him to South Africa, a neighboring country of Zimbabwe.

He traveled long, lonely roads and met interesting, knowledgeable characters which helped him on this road to discovery, eventually finding himself with a character (Haldane), that will help him trek through the Cederberg to find the Bushmen. The Bushmen are also called San or Khoisan. To him, the Bushmen is a tribe he learned about in his home country, but he didn’t realize they still exist.

Trekking through the Cederberg proves to be an adventurous and eventful ordeal. He discovered rock paintings and plants that the Bushmen use for healing purposes. Having experienced the effects of one of the plants first-hand, he realizes he was on the road to success. However, after meeting and engaging with the Bushmen he realizes that they are exploited by most people, and he started to doubt what he was doing. He soon realizes that by using this sacred and indigenous plant to promote his success he will also exploit the Bushmen. He became torn between honoring the San people, his success and the growth of the pharmaceutical industry.

The storyline is intriguing and keeps your attention throughout. I enjoyed the authentic writing style and richness of the characters. There are however areas where suspense is built and then nothing came from it. A few Afrikaans words and phrases were used, which is fine if you understand the language. For the sake of the non-native reader, I would suggest adding footnotes to explain the words. The writer's research and knowledge of South Africa and the Bushmen are of outstanding quality.

What I liked most about this book is Bentley’s description of emotions, people, and places. It feels if I lived in the mind of the narrator and experience every moment with him. Being a resident of South Africa myself, I understand the scenes and emotions traveling through the Karoo and trekking through the Cederberg. His almost poetic description of events made me feel at home with this book. I also get the feeling that he wrote about the Bushmen with the utmost respect. They are a special and indigenous tribe and deserve respect.

What I liked least about the book is that it didn’t end on a high note or with a conclusion as to what happened to the narrator. It is as if the writer didn’t finish the book.

I recommend The Followers of Lightning to travelers or wanderers that can appreciate the rich culture of the Bushmen and vast plains of South Africa as well as readers that enjoy a bit of local culture. I will not recommend the book for people interested in in-depth research of the Bushmen as it only touches lightly on certain aspects of the Bushmen.

The copy I have read is professionally edited. I found very few errors and to me, it was a very easy read. A book not to be put down once started and I highly recommend it. I enjoyed the book and therefore rate it 4 out of 4 stars.

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Followers of Lightning
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[Hazel Arnaiz]

I agree with your suggestion of including references for the native words used. Same with the botanical terms for the benefit of non-botanists. Thank you for the review.

[Eareeves99]

I've read a sample of the book and while it seems quite well written, I don't intend to finish it because I lack prior knowledge of much of the local environment and their particular activities, which are not really explained in layman's terms. A guide with the native language and perhaps a map would go a long way. Perhaps I will pick it up later when my children get to their Africa studies for something additional to discuss. Thanks for the full review.