A Crime In The Land Of 7000 Islands by Zephaniah Sole

Book Blurb
This incendiary novel, beautifully-written and at times horrifying, tells of FBI Special Agent Ikigai Johnson, who pledges to bring justice to children abused by a monstrous American in the Philippines. Amidst a police procedural of expert accuracy, she recounts her tale to her Eleven-year-old daughter through fantastical allegory. Her story exposes the damage of generational trauma and the exploitation that arises from inequality. It explores the nuances of criminal justice and reminds us of the battles between our courage and our willingness to let fear take hold. It is a call to act against evil.

My Review
When I saw the book blurb for A Crime In The Land Of 7,000 Islands I was intrigued by the description of it being a mix of police procedural and fantastical allegory, not a partnership you often see together. Sometimes these unusual combinations don’t really work, but Zephaniah Sole has written an amazing read that left me breathless. Set in Portland America and the Philippines this is the story of Ikigai, an FBI Agent wanting to bring justice to children in both the USA and the Philippines who have been abused by Evan Campbell. Narrated by her daughter Ikigai (Junior) who tells the story as her mother told her in terms of folklore and allegory.

What really stood out for me reading this book was the writing, it is sublime. It’s not easy to take such a horrific crime, and tell the story in a way that is in no way graphic but in a tale of Warriors seeking justice. Ikigai uses her Japenese heritage and folklore to tell her eleven year daughter why she has been away so long. I loved that the aeroplane was a Crane, a boat was a huge Sea Turtle, the FBI were Warriors and a Hindu Warrior, Garuda who takes messages bewtween Portland and the Philippines. Using this type of language was her way to protect her daughter from the true horrors of the case and was what I loved most about this book. The crime element has a lot of tension and suspense, as Ikigai and her team in America try to get the evidence required to put Campbell away but seem to face a lot of dead ends. Through the book the idea of identity, acceptance, freedom and heritage, its importance and how it differs between countries.

Ikigai is a wonderful and complex character who is trying to juggle being an FBI Agent with being a mother to her daughter Ikigai aka Junior. It is intersting following her journey to the Philippines as it is the first time she is in a place she feels she belongs; in terms of language and appearance. She is a strong and determined woman who sees it as her mission to put Campbell away, and will go to any lengths to do that. Whilst in the Philippines she seems to change, she sees the reality of these horrific crimes but also sees the beauty of the landscape; a juxtaposition of beauty and the ugliness of the crime. The whole experience changes her, meeting the children and their families, their harsh existence and the everyday difficulties they face. There are a wonderful and diverse cast of supporting characters including her daughter Junior, who sees her mother as the Warrior from her stories but is having a difficult time herself.

A Crime In The Land Of 7,000 Islands is a unique and hard hitting read. I loved this original mix of crime procedure and a touch of fantasy, it worked really well. Ikigai was such a strong character, whose tenacity in this case truely makes her a warrior in my eyes. The prose is beautiful, which is strange in a book about a crime of child molestation, but it I liked that there was no graphic detail and that the allegory used told the story in a more subtle way. I found myself completely absorbed in this book and a week after finishing it I still find myself thinking about it. I highly recommend this book, its origionality and prose make it a fantastic read.

I would like to thank Anne Cater from Random Things Tours and Black Spring Press for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.