Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo
by Dave Donelson 
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In his first collection of stories since Fabulous Small Jews, Joseph Epstein delivers all the pleasures his readers have come to expect: stories of ordinary men confronting the moments that define a life, told with the bittersweet humor and loving irony encompassed in the title of the book. These fourteen tales map a very particular world—Jews whose lives are anchored in Chicago—in rich, revealing detail even as they brim with universal longings: complex love affairs and unspoken show more rivalries, family triumphs and private disappointments. Epstein, who “happens to possess a standup comic’s gift for punch lines” (New York Times Book Review), brings his emphatically grown-up characters to witty, rueful, and charming life. The Love Song of A. Jerome Minkoff is a marvelous collection from a master of the short form and one of the most distinctive writers working in America today. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I would heartily recommend this book. It was a great "non-stop" read -- and it opened my eyes to something of dire importance.
Long before reading Heart of Diamonds, I had, of course, heard about war in the Congo. Indeed, war seemed (and, I now see, actually is) a fact of daily life for the Congolese. Perhaps this very "ongoingness" made it lose significance, registering in my unconscious as an almost mundane event that people had somehow gotten used to, rather than the continuous phenomenon of horror that it is. This book gave me a gut-level sense of the ghastly lives to which the people of the Congo have long been subjected, and I am now ashamed of my simple-minded, blind complacency.
This book accomplishes something pretty impressive, show more in my opinion: While showing, in simple, hard-hitting prose, how a forgotten segment of humanity lives ON A DAILY BASIS with a level of violence and brutality we can't imagine, it truly reads like a blockbuster film! Strong characters (some of them suspiciously familiar) take bold action in a terrifying and fascinating situation.... In short, the story jumps right into your blood.
I hope many, many people will read this book. I know they'll enjoy it. Better yet, I also think they'll learn from it.
Bravo, Mr. Donelson, bravo and thanks. show less
Long before reading Heart of Diamonds, I had, of course, heard about war in the Congo. Indeed, war seemed (and, I now see, actually is) a fact of daily life for the Congolese. Perhaps this very "ongoingness" made it lose significance, registering in my unconscious as an almost mundane event that people had somehow gotten used to, rather than the continuous phenomenon of horror that it is. This book gave me a gut-level sense of the ghastly lives to which the people of the Congo have long been subjected, and I am now ashamed of my simple-minded, blind complacency.
This book accomplishes something pretty impressive, show more in my opinion: While showing, in simple, hard-hitting prose, how a forgotten segment of humanity lives ON A DAILY BASIS with a level of violence and brutality we can't imagine, it truly reads like a blockbuster film! Strong characters (some of them suspiciously familiar) take bold action in a terrifying and fascinating situation.... In short, the story jumps right into your blood.
I hope many, many people will read this book. I know they'll enjoy it. Better yet, I also think they'll learn from it.
Bravo, Mr. Donelson, bravo and thanks. show less
An Exhilarating, Eye Opening Read!
As Heart of Diamonds begins, the description of a brutal rebel attack on a Congolese village as told by a young Congolese boy will tear fiercely at your heartstrings. The brutality this child endured sets the stage for the balance of the story, yet it had me wondering if I could handle more. Donelson’s descriptions of life in the Congo are revolting yet riveting. As I continued turning the pages my view quickly changed from trepidation to anticipation.
While the depiction of the vicious, bloody civil war in the Congo remains a constant background theme, the exposure of a diamond smuggling operation by American TV journalist, Valerie Grey, takes you on an exhilarating journey. When Grey uncovers the show more corrupt scheme she quickly learns that she is dealing with a group of ruthless criminals who will stop at nothing to prevent her from airing her story. The deeper she probes, the deeper the roots of corruption seem to have grown. Soon it becomes evident that Grey and her assistant can trust no one.
Nonstop action, devastation and brutality run concurrent with altruism and romance in this thriller making it an energetic and exhilarating read. Mr. Donelson, thank you for opening this reader’s eyes to the horrors of the Congo. I was moved by this novel’s ability to teach as well as thoroughly entertain. Bravo.
Michael Balkind
Author of Sudden Death & Dead Ball. show less
As Heart of Diamonds begins, the description of a brutal rebel attack on a Congolese village as told by a young Congolese boy will tear fiercely at your heartstrings. The brutality this child endured sets the stage for the balance of the story, yet it had me wondering if I could handle more. Donelson’s descriptions of life in the Congo are revolting yet riveting. As I continued turning the pages my view quickly changed from trepidation to anticipation.
While the depiction of the vicious, bloody civil war in the Congo remains a constant background theme, the exposure of a diamond smuggling operation by American TV journalist, Valerie Grey, takes you on an exhilarating journey. When Grey uncovers the show more corrupt scheme she quickly learns that she is dealing with a group of ruthless criminals who will stop at nothing to prevent her from airing her story. The deeper she probes, the deeper the roots of corruption seem to have grown. Soon it becomes evident that Grey and her assistant can trust no one.
Nonstop action, devastation and brutality run concurrent with altruism and romance in this thriller making it an energetic and exhilarating read. Mr. Donelson, thank you for opening this reader’s eyes to the horrors of the Congo. I was moved by this novel’s ability to teach as well as thoroughly entertain. Bravo.
Michael Balkind
Author of Sudden Death & Dead Ball. show less
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Dave Donelson is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2008
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- Members
- 22
- Popularity
- 1,105,408
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
