I really could not ask for a better review. The NG review appears on Goodreads and Amazon:
This poignant novel is moving, intimate and wise. The author writes with great perception and integrity of a young man in the 1960s, his life evolving in a world still dominated by race, class and colour. Charlie's story is carefully structured with remarkable emotional depth. I can't remember ever reading a more authentic character. I celebrated at his joys and wept at his sorrows, and didn't want the book to ever end.
The backdrop of Papua New Guinea is compelling and evocative, painted on an unforgettable literary canvas. A marvelous feat of storytelling.