The Volunteer

By Carter Coleman

After numerous infidelities and a messy break-up, a burnt-out attorney joins the Peace Corps to reform and redeem himself. He finds peace in the serene plains and mountains of Tanzania, teaching villagers to fish--until he becomes attached to one of his young charges who's about to undergo a barbaric ritual to please her fiance.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446522031
• ISBN13: 9780446522038
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Great Read

"The Volunteer" is much better than it sounds. The improbable plot works much better than I imagined it would, and does so on many different levels. Definitely one of the best first novels I have read in years.

The best book I've read in years.

Coleman has captured the magic of Tanzania in this sweeping tale. This book reads like a barn on fire. I figure he's the next Hemmingway.

Having been to Tanzania and the villages described - Superb!

I am probably biased, as I have worked in Tanzania and I adore the mountain region around Lushoto where the story takes place. The description of the scenery, the people and the places are fantastic. The story that takes place is full of excitement and intrigue. It is certainly something that is in the realm of possibilities for a Peace Corps volunteer. It is a novel and fiction, but it brought back great memories of the place and was a great story to read on vacation.

An absorbing book. I couldn't put it down!

What a great read! Carter Coleman has given us a brilliant first novel. I wasn't prepared to be so shocked and swept away. I was caught up in the story to the point where I was haunted by it during the day and couldn't wait to continue reading each night where I had left off. In no way was I prepared for the ending but I think it was gripping and effective. Carter Coleman didn't glorify the Peace Corps experience. I have to wonder just how much of this novel was based on personal experience. Brilliant!

Absorbing, exciting dramatic first book

Having just returned from a brief stay in Tanzania on a volunteer vacation project, I was very anxious to read this book. I think it is excellent for a first book. The story is compelling, the plot and action keep at a pretty good pace, and the characters are colorful and interesting. The author's descriptions of the land and people are straightforward, even gritty, and with the use of Kiswahili phrases throughout, he gives it a very authenthic feel. He certainly does not glamorize Peace Corps work. Jordan's character is an odd mix of altruism (no one in his right mind would sign up for two years to work in a rural Third world country village on a lark) and selfish immaturity. The flashbacks to his failed relationship with his girlfriend in the US (of which I wish there had been less)indicate the latter. His efforts to save and raise a baby Eagle and make life better for a young Tanzanian girl are well intended but again, his motives are far from pure, especially when it comes to the girl. He makes some pretty foolhardy decisions towards the end of the book in his effort to get the girl out of harm's way which make for pretty compelling and dramatic adventures. The ending is pretty gruesome - I could have done without it, but there it was! I kept wondering how much of this book was autobiographical by the author, as he lived and worked in the Usumbara Mountains and started the Tanzania Wildlife Fund referred to in the last chapter. All in all, if you like Africa, different cultures and adventure, I think would you would enjoy this book. I will look forward to another book by Carter Coleman.