Acabou: It's Finished (2001)

by Tim Green

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
4	1	3,428,468	(2.5)	2
Acabou started as a journal Tim Green kept for himself during his imprisonment in Mozambique. Scribbled with the stub of a pencil on a children's notebook, smuggled into the cell by inmates, the notes were intended as letters to his family should he not survive. On his release the notes were turned into a full length gripping story. It tells of how he was working as a commercial pilot, flying communications equipment to Mozambique. On completion of this job he was paid in American dollars, which he tried to exchange for local currency to pay for a meal. The currency was allegedly counterfeit and he was imprisoned for trying to ruin the Mozambican economy. He tells of how he was marched in front of a firing squad and almost put to death and how it was the inmates, rallying around him and his wife's pressure on the South African government that saved his life.… (more)

all members

▾Members

Recently added by

FlaPadrao, danrebo, starbox, Aurisproject

▾Tags

▾Lists

None

▾Will you like it?

▾Conversations (About links)

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 2 mentions

▾Member reviews

"Why me, for God's sake?", 1 January 2016

This review is from: Acabou (Paperback)
The author was a commercial pilot, transporting equipment into Mozambique. While innocently changing some US dollars to pay for a meal, he was arrested for having fake currency and thrown into a notorious jail. Here he experienced both the best and worst of mankind: friendly cellmates and bullying guards. He describes the filthy conditions, the horrific 'medieval' punishment cells, and the fear and powerlessness he felt in the first weeks when he had no access to his wife or the outside world.
A shortish (153p) book, written in a clear narrative, the author interposes his own story with sections by his wife, at home in S Africa and struggling to help her husband.
It's an OK read; obviously a terrible experience for Mr Green, yet somehow lacking in the literary skill needed to deeply engage the reader.
Maybe *2.5 (

)

starbox | Jan 1, 2016 |

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

▾Other authors

» Add other authors

▾Series and work relationships

▾Awards and Honors

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Canonical title

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

2001

People/Characters

Tim Green

Gill Green

Important places

Chimoio Prison, Mozambique

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

As I levelled off at 11 000 feet above sea-level and turned the aircraft's nose north-east for the three-hour flight to the once-thriving seaport of Beira in Mozambique, I leaned back and let my mind wander.

Quotations

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

▾Book descriptions

Acabou started as a journal Tim Green kept for himself during his imprisonment in Mozambique. Scribbled with the stub of a pencil on a children's notebook, smuggled into the cell by inmates, the notes were intended as letters to his family should he not survive. On his release the notes were turned into a full length gripping story. It tells of how he was working as a commercial pilot, flying communications equipment to Mozambique. On completion of this job he was paid in American dollars, which he tried to exchange for local currency to pay for a meal. The currency was allegedly counterfeit and he was imprisoned for trying to ruin the Mozambican economy. He tells of how he was marched in front of a firing squad and almost put to death and how it was the inmates, rallying around him and his wife's pressure on the South African government that saved his life.

▾Library descriptions

No library descriptions found.

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

"When I arrived in this cell-block of 160 sentenced men, I was a frightened and lonely man. I had heard stories of prisons in backward African countries - gang-rape and guard brutality, overcrowding, lack of food and toilet facilities - the list goes on and on, all horrifying to a white man in a foreign black country." This is my story of imprisonment in Mozambique. A story of man's inhumanity to his fellow man. A story of despair and rage. It is a frightening story. It is also a story of great feeling and compassion in deprived circumstances, kindness and sharing in brutal conditions. There, but for the grace of God, go you. I wrote this for me, for my sanity and understanding of the things thjat happened to me. And then for the people that loved me. Long afterwards I came to realise that my words and my story may have some relevance to others that have suffered and survived.

Haiku summary