Description
SYNOPSIS
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS is the story of two Americans divided by history and skin color. Joe Kellerman, white, is an accomplished diplomat who has spent his career solving difficult problems in sub-Saharan countries. Maurice Hightower, black, is a prize-winning but controversial journalist who has spent his life exposing injustice in the United States. During a fact-finding trip to an African country that is on the verge of erupting into civil war, and where the U.S. government is accused of supporting the increasingly violent opposition, Hightower travels alone into the bush and then disappears. The dangerous assignment of finding the missing man and bringing him to safety falls to the U.S. Consul, Joe Kellerman. The Distance Between Stars follows Kellerman’s hunt for a man he does not admire, traces Hightower’s pursuit of a truth that ever eludes him, and balances the costs each man must pay to find redemption for a life lived imperfectly. While the novel takes place in Africa, it is a uniquely American story.
ADVANCE PRAISE for THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS
“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 LOVESONGS and LITTLE FAITH
“…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. …characters, descriptions and scenes are so believable, and the story so engaging, I felt like this book came directly from the newspaper front pages.” — 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.)
Lois Baer Barr –
Joe Kellerman, a diplomat in the fictional African nation of Umbika, changes his racial awareness and understanding of the greater good when he is forced to handle visiting journalist Maurice Hightower. A charismatic and volatile figure, Hightower calls out racism in America, and Kellerman, a veteran problem solver, is supposed to keep the visitor safe and out of the political turmoil that is erupting in Umbika. Both Kellerman and Hightower come to a greater awareness of what race means in a country where the darker skinned tribes marginalize the lighter skinned tribes that formerly dominated the region economically and politically. This well-crafted novel immerses us in the tensions of post-colonial Africa and the importance of one man’s words and decisions.
Kathryn Gahl (verified owner) –
In Sub-Saharan Africa, a white American diplomat tries to do good, but what good looks like is slippery and has dire consequences for Joe Kellerman, living far from a racist parlance once commonplace in the U.S.
“This is the sound of ruin,” writes Jeff Elzinga with clear insight of the US Foreign Service and the demands put upon its officers. In our age of global turmoil, graft, and greed, here is a novel to stretch our understanding of humanity–no matter what color it is. Read it and see “how great the distance is between what is and what was.”
Lisa Vihos –
I could not put this book down. The novel carried me all the way to Africa, to the imagined country of Umbika, through the eyes of American diplomat Joseph Kellerman. As a civil war unfolds, I felt like I was right there with Joe, (who is white), trying to appease American journalist Maurice Hightower (who is black), and make extremely difficult decisions with lives on the line. This book is about race, duty, power, perceived differences, and compassion. Author Jeff Elzinga does an amazing job of showing how small gestures, words, and touches can set off seismic events. His story made me ask over and over, “what would I do?”