Kingdom of Monkeys

Colonialism, political strife and poverty inform the novella and six stories that make up Adam Lewis Schroeder's Kingdom of Monkeys, set in such locales as Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. In the oddly touching ""Seven Years with Wallace,"" an English naturalist prepares to return to England. His young assistant, Ali, who is from Borneo, yearns to go with him, even though such a thing ""is not done."" A desperate, opium-smoking river guide's assistant is moved to an act of violence against an English tourist in ""Many Many Elephants."" The novella, ""Beautiful Feet,"" follows a family of missionaries, Barney and Melissa Jordan and their 16-year-old son, Graeme, from Vancouver to the Philippines. With varying degrees of conviction, they trek deeper into the jungles, looking for souls to save. It's an intriguing story, although it's derailed somewhat by flashbacks and Apocalypse Now references. This young Canadian author has a keen eye and a sense of empathy that helps to bring his diverse characters to life.