What Others Are Saying About
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS
Jeff Elzinga has written a thoroughly authentic novel of Africa whose themes of race, privilege and what it means to be American ring true to anyone who has spent time on the continent. His characters, descriptions, and scenes are so believable, and the story so engaging, I felt like this book came directly from the newspaper front pages. You won’t actually find Umbika on a real map of the continent, but I came away with the feeling that I had been there many times before.
– Keith Richburg, former Africa bureau chief, Washington Post, and author of OUT OF AMERICA
…an enthralling story that’s more exciting with each turn of the page. Set against a backdrop of Africa so authentic I could smell the omnipresent cooking fires and relive the joys, trials and tribulations of many years on that magical continent. The spot-on description of diplomatic service, and in particular the challenges of managing visiting VIPS, brought back night sweats I thought I’d left behind. An excellent and enjoyable read!
– Ambassador Gregory W. Engle (Ret.)
A finely-crafted, thoughtful, and timely novel. Authentic and compassionate in its story-telling, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS marks Elzinga’s debut as a writer to watch.
– Nickolas Butler, author of SHOTGUN LOVE SONGS and LITTLE FAITH
…Elzinga has created a story that is exceedingly relevant to modern America. In the end, what’s at stake between Kellerman and Hightower in their clash – as well as between Umbikans in their civil war – is the same, albeit at a more advanced stage, as what is at stake for Americans in ours: our fragile connection to each other, and the question of whether, in the face of all that has happened in the past, it can hold.
–USA TODAY, Wisconsin Network
In this debut literary novel, a diplomat searches for a missing journalist in Africa.
Diplomat Joe Kellerman serves at the American Embassy in Umbika, a fictional country in East Africa undergoing a period of political unrest. He and his co-workers have just learned that they must play host to rabble-rousing American columnist Maurice Hightower, the “most popular black journalist ever.” Hightower has been accusing the current American administration—including Kellerman and his colleagues—of supporting the rebels in Umbika to undermine the country’s “Life President,” strongman J.J. Mulenga. “The rebels steal the food you send, but Umbikans are told it’s the Life President who’s doing it,” claims Hightower after he has landed. “Washington gets high-and-mighty about human rights and says it’s time for the Life President to step down. Tricksters in Washington have done this before. They’ve done it all over the world.” Kellerman is expected to show Hightower around so he can see that nothing is amiss in America’s behavior, but when the journalist takes a side trip on his own and disappears, the diplomat is tasked with finding him. Kellerman’s hunt for the strong-willed man—whose angry claims challenge everything the diplomat believes about Africa and America—turns into a quest to find something even trickier: a deeper understanding of his own presence in Umbika. Elzinga’s economic prose captures the pragmatic, slightly annoyed disposition of Kellerman, the narrator, who regards Umbika with a mix of admiration, frustration, and detachment. Hightower is the diplomat’s perfect foil and succeeds in baiting Kellerman into espousing impatience for ideas of systemic racism: “ ‘I’ve read your column,’ I said, feeling free to say anything on my mind. ‘I know what you think about white people. I know why you’re here.’ ‘Then you know I didn’t come here to find white folks to argue with. I came here to find the truth.’ ‘The truth? Ha. Slavery ended a hundred years ago. That’s the truth.’ ” Kellerman’s responsibilities as a foreign service officer—enumerated in great detail—are both grounding and immersive. The book has its lulls, but it represents an intriguing and often exciting update on the diplomatic novels of the 20th century.
A frequently thrilling, sometimes slow tale that doesn’t shy away from thorny issues.
-Kirkus Reviews