My Driver
Encyclopedia
My Driver is a novel by English author Maggie Gee
, and is the sequel to My Cleaner
. It was first published in 2009 by Telegram Books.
It is set in Uganda
in the lead-up to the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
in Kampala
.
The book has three main characters :
Three other narratives make occasional appearances
Maggie Gee
Maggie Mary Gee is an English novelist. She was born in Poole, Dorset, then moved to the Midlands and later to Sussex. She was educated at state schools and at Oxford University . She later worked in publishing and then had a research post at Wolverhampton Polytechnic where she completed a...
, and is the sequel to My Cleaner
My Cleaner
My Cleaner is a novel by English author Maggie Gee. It was first published in 2005 by Saqi Books and concerns racism and family life. According to Bernardine Evaristo it was her best novel to that date.....
. It was first published in 2009 by Telegram Books.
It is set in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
in the lead-up to the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007 was the twentieth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Kampala, Uganda, between 23 November and 25 November 2007, and was hosted by President Yoweri Museveni....
in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
.
The book has three main characters :
- London author Vanessa Henman is travelling to Uganda to attend a British CouncilBritish CouncilThe British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
sponsored conference for African authors to be held at the Sheraton HotelSheraton Hotels and ResortsSheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
in Kampala and afterwards as a tourist to see Mountain GorillaMountain GorillaThe Mountain Gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic...
s at in BwindiBwindi Impenetrable National ParkBwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern Uganda in East Africa. The park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and is situated along the Democratic Republic of Congo border next to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the western Great Rift Valley...
. - Mary Tendo, Vanessa's former cleaner is now Executive Housekeeper at the Sheraton; and is unaware that Vanessa will be attending the conference.
- Trevor Patchett, Vanessa's former husband is a plumber and has been invited out to Uganda by Mary Tendo to repair a well in her home village which is no longer supplying water, he is also unaware of Vanessa's visit.
Three other narratives make occasional appearances
- Back in London Vanessa and Trevor's son Justin is looking after his son Abdul Trevor who is unwell whilst Zakira his partner is travelling to BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on business - On the border between Uganda and DR Congo a hungry teenage LRALRALRA may refer to:* the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group in Uganda* Local Registration Authority, relating to digital "keys"* Lake Ridge Academy, a school in North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA...
child-conscript is trying to make his way back home to Uganda - By way of contrast President Museveni considers his options in dealing with the international tensions.
Reception
- 'Executed with a lovely light touch ... an immensely enjoyable novel' - Lionel ShriverLionel Shriver-Early life and education:Lionel Shriver was born Margaret Ann Shriver on May 18, 1957 in Gastonia, North Carolina, to a deeply religious family . At age 15, she changed her name from Margaret Ann to Lionel because she did not like the name she had been given, and as a tomboy felt that a...
in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. - 'Worldly, witty, enjoyable, impressive' - Doris LessingDoris LessingDoris May Lessing CH is a British writer. Her novels include The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos....
- 'it's sparky and funny and terrifically entertaining' - Patrick NessPatrick NessPatrick Ness is an American author, journalist and lecturer who lives in London. He holds both American and British citizenship...
in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. - 'Fast-moving, energetic, constantly surprising' - Hilary MantelHilary MantelHilary Mary Mantel CBE , née Thompson, is an English novelist, short story writer and critic. Her work, ranging in subject from personal memoir to historical fiction, has been short-listed for major literary awards...
- 'This is a writer who clearly knows her way through central Africa's alphabet soup of rebel groups, and who also has a clear-eyed grasp pf the scramble for money and power that drives the regions wars. Gee's novel is an admirable success' - Matthew GreenMatthew Green (journalist)Matthew Green is a British journalist and author. He studied African politics at university and spent five years on the ground in East Africa reporting for Reuters...
, Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
.