Mr. Fix It

Ebamba's name means mender in Lingala, but everything in the Congolese twentysomething's life seems to be falling apart. In the chaotic megacity of Kinshasa, the educated but unemployed young man must navigate the ever widening distance between tradition and modernity -- from the payment of his fiancee's exorbitant dowry to the unexpected sexual confession of his best friend -- as he struggles with responsibility and flirts with temptation. The first novel to be translated into English from Lingala, Mr. Fix It introduces major new talent Richard Ali A Mutu, who leads a new generation of writers whose work portrays the everyday realities of Congolese life with the bold, intense style associated with the country's music and fashion.