Three Dreams on Mount Meru

An African boy's tribal-tradition transition into manhood sends him on a wild, dangerous journey in this slight adventure yarn. In year 1170 of the Islamic calendar, 15-year-old Bayu of the Muslim El-Mudi clan of Mombassa sets off on his mandated journey to Mount Meru in east Africa. Not only Bayu's, but the lives of the individuals and clans he meets along the way are steeped in legend and myth, providing occasional lush passages of fantasy. The action builds slowly during Bayu's first weeks of walking, and the questing hero's meditations are less than riveting ("What I needed to follow wasn't some path other men had made, but rather my own way"). Things pick up about halfway into the novel when Bayu is kidnapped and held hostage by the mysterious King Shina, who is protected by a savage leopard—an animal crucial to the mythology of Bayu's own people. His escape requires luck and all his acquired skills. The writing, however, is flat, so the tribal battles, evil spirits and man-eating crocodiles come off as mildly interesting set pieces. A thin story and imprecise prose make this feel like a stretched novella. (Apr.)