1967. The Cold War drags on. A hot war becomes even hotter, trusting it to the patriotism of American youth. But Harrison Hamblin answers a different call. To honor his ideals, he joins the Peace Corps as a teacher. One who thinks that he knows a lot, but will learn that he knows very little.

The third world is choosing up sides and angling for aid. Countries will play both sides and manipulate the idealists. And local internecine warfare will carry on as proxies for the Cold War antagonists. So how could Harry’s efforts for peace and reconciliation lead to the death of friends and to tragedy and despair?

Land of the Sun is to a great extent a bildungsroman written by a narrator who writes in a humorous and self-deprecating style. Much of the drama (and humor) derives from intercultural differences and misunderstandings as well post colonial confusion. The cultural information is true and accurate. To a degree, The story is populated by a variety of tribesmen with their own cultural secrets as well as French, Soviet and American aid workers. Most importantly, the author has used the power of imagination and knowledge to inform, entertain, and captivate the reader—to create this unusual and sometimes even unbelievable story.