Whether they are Americans, Brits, or a stubborn and suicidally moral Dutchman, Norman Rush's whites are not sure why they are in Botswana. Their uncertainty makes them do odd things. Driven half-mad by the barking of his neighbor's dog, Carl dips timidly into native withcraft-only to jump back out at the worst possible moment. Ione briskly pursues a career as a 'seducer', while her dentist husband fends off the generous advances of an African cook. Funny, sad, and deeply knowing, polished throughout to a dimond glitter, Whites is a magnificent collection of stories.

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