Dar es Salaam

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 2 SET 2002

Kai adds an intriguing spin to the coming-of-age formula in her impressive debut, which deals with the persistent efforts of the 14-year-old British narrator, Tatum, to seduce Mohammed, an older Indian friend of her stepfather, Jack. The seduction takes place in the capital city of Tanzania when Tatum's family arrives there for an extended vacation. Tatum's attraction is instant and it quickly becomes obsessive. Mohammed, meanwhile, is a fairly innocuous love object a 40-year-old warehouse worker whose obvious kindness and intelligence are mitigated by his inexplicable lack of success with women, although he is clearly drawn to Tatum from the beginning. He lives with his mother, lacks a steady girlfriend and has a fairly tepid friendship with Jack. Kai captures the teenage state of mind perfectly, exploring Tatum's alternating cycles of despair and ecstasy as she processes thoughts and feelings about her would-be lover. The moment when the two come together is something of a letdown, although Kai superbly captures Tatum's ambivalence during the act itself, which takes place when her family briefly returns to London and she talks her parents into letting her spend the interlude with Mohammed and his mother. A certain lack of romantic suspense hampers the story's progress, but Kai shows considerable promise, particularly in her characterizations. 6-city author tour.