Chronicler of the Winds

April 17, 2006
Mankell's evocative, quietly powerful novel, first published in 1995, tells the unbearably sad story of 10-year-old Nelio, a mortally wounded street kid in an unnamed African port city. After revolutionary soldiers kill his family and most of the people in his village ("to show us they were serious in their struggle to liberate us and help us have a better life"), Nelio makes his way to the city where he joins a gang of homeless orphans, eventually—and reluctantly—becoming their leader. They have "only one mission in life: to survive," but that's essentially all they can hope for. Mankell, best known for his Kurt Wallander mystery series (The Dogs of Riga
, etc.), vividly depicts in this heartbreaking fable the ongoing tragedy of Africa's disenfranchised. At times the narrative strays too far from Nelio's story and the tone slips into a kind of magical realism, but it's impossible not to be moved by the tale of Nelio's short and painful life.

Starred review from May 1, 2006
A departure for Swedish crime novelist Mankell, this work takes place in an African country after the overthrow of its longtime dictator by revolutionaries. In the ensuing confusion, bandits terrorize the countryside and conscript young boys into their ranks, among them the child Nelio. Nelio escapes and journeys to a big city, where he joins up with a group of street children. When Nelio is shot, he is cared for by a baker named José and tells José his story, ending with the gunshot that leads to his death. Nelio -s tragic tale changes José -s life, and he decides to spend his own life telling Nelio -s story, thus becoming known as the -Chronicler of the Winds. - Mankell -s novel is about the broken legacy of colonialism and the greed and violence that follow in its wake. The heroes (and victims) of this chaos are boys like Nelio and José who refuse to succumb to the brutality that surrounds them. Timely and well worth reading, this is highly recommended for all libraries." -Rebecca Stuhr, Grinnell Coll. Libs., IA"

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