What Is The Novel "A Good Man In Africa"by William Boyd About?

"A Good Man in Africa" was published in 1994. It is set in the fictional West African country of Kinjanja. The "good man," Leafy, is a diplomat who drinks heavily and pursues a number of women. His complicated love life - which includes catching sexual diseases - also causes him problems at work.

However, Leafy is basically a "good man" and tries to do what he thinks is right even if it gets him into trouble. This is shown when he tries to bury the body of a local woman, who has been left unburied to satisfy a tribal custom. Leafy starts to bury her, then panics and digs her up again, which is typical of his clumsy attempts at decency.

Gradually, through time and friendship, Leafy learns to deal with life in Africa and to accept his own character.

The novel has one several awards and has been compared to the work of Somerset Maugham. It was made into a film in 1994.