Based on the remarkable true account of a young American who landed in Liberia in 1961. Ken Verrier is not happy, nor at peace. He is experiencing the turbulence of Ishmael and the guilt of his brother’s death. His sudden decision to drop out of college and deal with his demons shocks his family, his friends, and especially his girlfriend, soon to have been his fiancee. His destination: Liberia … destination: Liberia – The richest country in Africa both in monetary wealth and in natural resources.
Nothing could have prepared Ken for the experiences he was about to live through. He quickly realizes that he has arrived in a place where he understands very little of what is considered normal, where the dignity of life has little meaning, and where he can trust no one.
Flying into the interior bush as a transport pilot, Ken learns quickly. He witnesses first-hand the disparate lives of the Liberian “Country People” and the “Congo People” also known as Americo-Liberians. These descendants of President Monroe’s American Colonization Policy that sent freed slaves back to Africa in the 1800’s have set up a stricthierarchical society not unlike the antebellum South.
Author Dan Meier describes Ken’s many escapades, spanning from horrifying to whimsical, with engaging and fast-moving narrative that ultimately describe a society upon which the wealthy are feeding and in which the poor are being buried.
It’s a novel that will stay will you long after the last word has been read.
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Reviewed by Rachel Dehning for Reader Views (2/20)
“The Dung Beetles of Liberia” by Daniel V. Meier, Jr. is about a young underclassman, Ken Verrier, trying to figure out his life. On the outside, Ken appears as if he has it all together – he is attending a prestigious college to obtain a degree in physics and has a very attractive and attentive girlfriend by his side. What not everyone may know is that Ken has had a traumatic experience take place that has caused him to rethink his life decisions and choose to shift his aspirations to different avenues in order to do some self-discovering.
On a whim, he informs his parents and his girlfriend that he is taking inspiration from Ishmael by putting a pause on his degree and finding a job as a commercial pilot – a passion of his. Liberia, Africa is where Ken chooses as his destination. With some called-in favors, he acquires the necessary papers and is soon flying. Being from the United States, Ken finds that his co-workers, as well as everyone around him, are much different than what he is used to. Working alongside ex-Nazis, and figuring out who the “untouchables” are (aka the ones with the money who run the area), all contribute to the stories he has to tell about his time spent flying, and how the rich are very rich, while the poor are barely hanging in there.
Ken’s experiences as a pilot in Liberia most certainly are appropriate to be recorded for an audience; I cannot even imagine having to live through it all myself. Being a citizen of Liberia for as long as he did, he proved his citizenship by taking on the diseases, turmoil, and culture of the land.
I found the cover of the book to be very appropriate – the color, the outline of the beetle with the diamond and the gun in its center are all important aspects of Ken’s experiences. While Ken’s life was recorded with action and adventure, the style in which Meier wrote the book would not be considered an “action and adventure” type of story, but more so in the style of a memoir with recordings of a man’s time spent flying airplanes with various cargo and people and the things he had to endure and work through in those times.
I believe the audience for this story would be those who enjoy stories of other cultures, as well as historical fiction. “The Dung Beetles of Liberia” by Daniel V. Meier, Jr. is highly recommended reading!
A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
10th Oct 2019
TITLE: THE DUNG BEETLES OF LIBERIA, A Novel Based on True Events
Author: Daniel V Meier Jr
Star Rating: 4 stars
‘Perfect for anybody who enjoys a gritty thriller and a little African history too.’ A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
REVIEW
Firstly, I must say the title is excellent. There’s nothing better than a cleverly thought-out, enticing title that’s sort of ‘out of the box’. A wonderful title like this suggests to me the book is going to be pretty wonderful too. And I’m delighted to say, it is!
So, let’s begin with the plot. Basically, the story follows a young man who, in the 1960s, suddenly jets of to Africa to work as a pilot. What follows is a well-plotted mix of oddball characters and a lot of (very) short take offs and landings. Ken, the (sort of) hero of the story is in many ways not a hero at all. In fact, in many ways, he’s a bit of a selfish git. But he’s on a steep learning curve in this well-paced novel. There’s a long, long list of elements to this story, from political bribery to falling in love, from the Cold War to drinking and flying. And it’s all written with a gold-tipped pen.
As it happens, I’m a pilot myself with thousands of hours in my logbook. So I very much enjoyed the ‘flying’ elements to the story. And, from what I remember, the author’s got it right in terms of the technical aspects of flying and the way a pilot feels when he/she is trying to put the plane down on a short strip of runway.
In all all, this is a fun, exciting, often unpredictable adventure. The writing is pacey with a good mix of ‘showing the setting’ and ‘keep things moving’. Personally, I felt the author was most comfortable with the flying parts, and not so much on any love interest Ken had or, indeed, the growing political problems of the country. But there’s plenty in here to keep any reader interested, particularly if they have an interest in African history and also happen to enjoy a thrilling, often gritty adventure.
Enjoy!
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
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