This wasn't the book I was expecting when I first picked it up, but instead a succinct and informative look on what it is really like to be an african with AIDS, and what impact AIDS is having on this continent.

There were some personal stories, interspersed with the facts and figures, as well as Mankell's own reactions to the things he finds out.

This was a short book, and one that every single person in this world should read. It scared me, opened my eyes and filled me with such sorrow for the people who have been touched by this disease, and the disparity between those in western civilisation who are HIV+, and those in Africa.

In one line: A must read for every single person who remotely cares about AIDS and its effects, or wants to learn to care. ( )