Official Review: Confessions of a Llama by Patrick Ntsime

[InStoree]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Confessions of a Llama" by Patrick Ntsime.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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In Confessions of a Llama, Patrick Ntsime narrates the tumultuous story of Mr. Motara, South Africa’s first diplomat to the country of Bolivia. The book starts with a brief history of how events unfolded during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. In particular, he describes Mr. Motara’s ancestor, Somatina Silva, who was “sold to the richest Spanish bidder to work in the 16th century silver mines of Potosi, Alto Peru, the new world of South America.” As we are introduced to the suffering of the mineworkers, we glimpse the hellish conditions they were exposed to at that time. With so much despair, their faith and hope gave them an enduring spirit.

The protagonist, Mr. Motara, carries us through a broad array of challenges throughout his life. During one of his trials, he’s diagnosed with a mental illness that sends him to a psychiatric institution. On another occasion, we witness human rights violations that mirror our own current events. Human trafficking is at its peak, and various drug lords are forming nefarious coalitions with politicians, leading to corrupt systems of government. Being South Africa’s first diplomat to Bolivia during a difficult period in South African history, Mr. Motara has considerable responsibility on his shoulders. Will he succeed in his task, or will he be engulfed by the waves of the poisoned political system?

I liked how the author used first-person narration; it made me forget that this is historical fiction. The book reads like an engaging memoir. The journey back in time revealed the historical interplay between the African and South American cultures. Reading about the slave trade was deeply emotional for me. The author’s expressive writing style easily engages the reader while exploring worthy themes such as racial discrimination, government corruption, and the exploitation of the Amazon.

At first, it seemed the writer was taking too much time in giving detailed descriptions of all the scenes, which sometimes became a bit boring. But later, I found this descriptive technique quite powerful in creating vivid scenes that shaped an emotional reading experience. Personally, I found the first chapter rather disturbing, especially reading about the hardships that the slaves endured. As the story progresses, all the various themes begin to slowly emerge. As a nice contrast, the story is spiced up with a bit of love and friendship relationship between Mr. Motara and Pam, a beautiful model. I would recommend this work to readers who enjoy historical fiction with some elements of romance.

I encountered minor editorial errors that did not distract me. There are some light erotic scenes that have been tastefully described, limiting the use of expletives. Confessions of a Llama is an educative, eye-opening, and emotional read that deserves nothing less than 4 out of 4 stars.

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Confessions of a Llama
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[Nikolas Farmakis]

Excellent review! You have given a summary of the book while including your opinion on the book. Your review makes me want to read the book.

[Prisallen]

I imagine this book would be difficult for a lot of people to read, considering the hardships those people endured. I'm glad it has some bright spots with romance and friendship with Pam. Great review!

[missfrombliss]

It is hard to read a book that has heavy content but also tells how acually still is somewhere in the world. Thanks for reading and reviewing the book!

[AntonelaMaria]

This seems like an all-consuming book. You did an amazing job with the review. Talk about that old saying never judge a book by its cover, I would never guess this was a historical fiction book.

[rumik]

I thought about trying this book out; now I wish I did! I really liked the cover as well as the title. Glad to see the contents are just as great too. Thanks for the review!

[Keida]

That’s an amazing cover for the book only watching that alone makes me want to read the book then reading the summary blow my mind

[Juliet+1]

I was so intrigued by the title of this book, I had to take a look. It sounds like it might be a painful read, but still worthwhile. Many thanks for a great review.

[MacDotta]

[/b] Great review granted but was there anything you didnt like about the book?... What was the dialogue like between people? What was the effects of the conflicts after? But well put together.
Kudos....
#MacDotta

[Angel32]

Its a very educational book with a little of everything from emotion to romance.very interesting

[iknwuzoh]

This book talks about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade then. Slave trade is officially abolished. Human trafficking in modern times is a form of slave trade.

[Kenesha Latoya Fowler]

I imagine that this book would be hard for me to read, owing to the fact that I can't much stomach human suffering. The book does sound very interesting, though, as you said, "exploring worthy topics such as racial discrimination, government corruption, and the exploitation of the Amazon." I really liked the tone of this review, too. Well done.

[Morenikeji Adedeji]

I absolutely love your review.

[kdstrack]

The slave trade in Bolivia has been well documented. I am impressed by the depth of the author's research. Your well-written review has piqued my interest in this one. Thanks for the amazing recommendation.

[Courtneykempe]

Great review, this makes me want to read the book and it didn’t seem interesting to me before !