"A Jewish man flees 1938 Germany only to find a new and unexpected nightmare" in Guatemala, in this tale of dark humor and desperate suspense ( Publishers Weekly ).
In 1938, as Samuel Berkow's tramp steamer from Germany approaches Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, he is full of hope that he will be able to find a family member and begin to remake his life in the new world.
But in this sweltering, chaotic, and hostile port town, he will have to face down many obstacles - including himself - before he can hope to truly escape . . .
"Unger's sharp prose deftly conveys Samuel's frustrations and confusions as he encounters characters like a troublesome dwarf, a volatile American fruit company manager, a crazed ex-priest, and a friendly telegraph operator who all offer help with one hand but uncertainty with the other." - Publishers Weekly
"Evoking both Kafka and Conrad, Unger's character study of a broken man in a culture broken by a ravenous corporation makes compelling reading." - Booklist
"Unger's tale utterly seduces with its mix of the exotic and the familiar." - Toronto Star
Description:
"A Jewish man flees 1938 Germany only to find a new and unexpected nightmare" in Guatemala, in this tale of dark humor and desperate suspense ( Publishers Weekly ).
In 1938, as Samuel Berkow's tramp steamer from Germany approaches Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, he is full of hope that he will be able to find a family member and begin to remake his life in the new world.
But in this sweltering, chaotic, and hostile port town, he will have to face down many obstacles - including himself - before he can hope to truly escape . . .
"Unger's sharp prose deftly conveys Samuel's frustrations and confusions as he encounters characters like a troublesome dwarf, a volatile American fruit company manager, a crazed ex-priest, and a friendly telegraph operator who all offer help with one hand but uncertainty with the other." - Publishers Weekly
"Evoking both Kafka and Conrad, Unger's character study of a broken man in a culture broken by a ravenous corporation makes compelling reading." - Booklist
"Unger's tale utterly seduces with its mix of the exotic and the familiar." - Toronto Star