Congo Dawn

December 24, 2012
A number of Christian fiction authors have developed a broad worldview as children of missionaries living abroad. Raised by missionary parents in Colombia, Windle comes off a highly acclaimed pair of books on Afghanistan (Veiled Freedom, Freedom’s Stand) and moves into the jungles of the Congo. Robin Duncan, member of a global security force for a precious metals mine, learns she is meant for more than providing security for a multinational corporation. She must also overcome her personal grief and betrayal by Michael Stewart if, together, the two are to help liberate people oppressed in once-beautiful, smoldering rain forests that the government and corporate greed have laid to waste. The author doesn’t limit character development to Robin, but also deeply develops accessible and multidimensional African characters. Inverting the Heart of Darkness trope of self-discovery in the jungle, this story sheds light through a great faith struggle in Robin: “Am I so different from those rebels, from Governor Wamba or Jini, using the darkness as an excuse to turn from the light, wallowing in my own self-pity and self-absorption?”

Robin Duncan, former Marine lieutenant, now hired interpreter for an international mining consortium's security team, travels to the mineral-rich and war-torn Congolese rainforest in this faith-based suspense. There she meets the doctor who broke her heart five years earlier, along with cold-blooded killers. Set in the Ituri villages of the Congo, the story brings international characters and cultures to life with evocative African accents. Brooke Heldman places listeners in the midst of the action with a polished performance of the security team's pursuit of the brutal killers. Her portrayal of Duncan's growing distrust and genuine fear when she learns of the consortium's ruthless global conspiracy is especially believable. Authentic sound effects add to a mystery that reveals how absolute power corrupts absolutely. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine