A new book, about a place which is simultaneously very dear to many many Australian's, whilst also being a source of regret and guilt, The Devil's Tears was really intriguing when it first arrived. And it's one of those books that is keeping me awake nights. For two reasons - the subject matter built around the struggle in East Timor is extremely confrontational and Horne doesn't pull many punches. The second reason is that the book is really really hard to put down.
From the Blurb:
1975: When bloody war ravages his beloved Portuguese Timor, Cesar de Silva flees with his wife and children from a country in flames. ...
1997: More than twenty years later, a young Australian journalist and her photographer are drawn to the killing fields of Timor and discover the terrible suffering of the Timorese people at the hands of a brutal foreign invader.
Opening Lines:
A shrill cry echoed from the dark mouth of the cave. Outside, the three young girls huddled closer together.