Heath and his boyfriend Jarrod are attacked outside a Sydney pub one night in a brutal gay bashing. Jarrod dies but Heath survives, although he is not really among the living. The pain of the loss and guilt over surviving makes it hard to go on. Heath has always believed in the prescience of his dreams, and one night he dreams of Jarrod in Africa, among the Maasai. With very little planning or thought, he books a one-way ticket to Tanzania.
Arriving at a Maasai village in the dark of night, Heath doens’t receive the warmest of welcomes. It’s not a village that caters to western tourists. The village chief somewhat reluctantly lets him stay and assigns Damu to take care of him. Although the son of the chief, Damu is an outcast in the village, not allowed to become a warrior like the other young men, because his father foresees a different future for him.
Damu’s quiet strength calms and heals Heath’s broken heart. But as the friendship between the two men begins to transform into something more, they risk everything, including their very lives. The culture Heath has inserted himself into does not accept homosexuality to any degree, to the point where it could mean death for Damu if anyone finds out.
Although clearly not autobiographical, “Blood & Milk” certainly reads like one. While one or two plot points may require you to suspend disbelief, the story as a whole reads as if it might just be possible. The descriptions of the Maasai customs and way of life seems entirely realistic, at least to someone who has only a casual knowledge of the culture.
The book will appeal to readers on several levels. The writer captures the vast gulf between so-called ‘modern’ western culture and the traditional tribal culture of Africa. Heath has to keep reminding himself not to be too judgemental about things like the secondary status of women, and many other things. The romance that develops between Heath and Damu also manages to avoid all the common clichés.
“Blood & Milk” is available from Amazon.
