Set in a nameless colonial country, year unknown, Katie Kitamura’s second novel chronicles the fortunes of a cold-hearted father, his naive son and the woman who tightens the tension between them as revolution brews beyond the sprawling acres of their pastoral estate. Rather than presenting us with a richly defined world of places and players, Kitamura limits our frame to the narrow world view of the son, Tom, who has dutifully tended the family farm his entire life and knows little else. When a nearby volcano erupts, so do filial, sexual and political tensions, which Kitamura relates in cool, clipped reportage. The minimal context is frustratingly claustrophobic, but the effect is mesmerising. We discover a fable-like tale, restricted in relevance to no specific history or peoples, that condemns neither colonisers nor the colonised but rather those who fail to attempt understanding. This is sparse, dark, elegant prose that startles with its subtlety and sharp insight.
