A Small Balance of Favors by Lincoln Dahl
Lincoln Dahl’s deeply human novel is a humorous tale of entrepreneurship and compassion in the developing world. I always say that writers write what they know, and that is certainly true in this novel. Based on many of Dahl’s personal experiences, A Small Balance of Favors tells the story of an ambitious man who makes a questionable decision to start a business in Africa… and bring his young family with him. Why bring his family all the way from Canada to Zambia? Well, because he is oh so certain that entrepreneurial success is imminent!
As it turns out, instead of achieving his goals, he experiences a comedy of failures as he learns to navigate his African environment by churning through several half-baked businesses. In this touching and funny novel, the protagonist finds out that we “all live on a small balance of favors”.
This is an excellent novel that emphasizes themes of human ambition, foolishness, and failure – all written in a lighthearted tone. At the end, you will see that it certainly takes a village for this motivated Canadian to learn what it takes to achieve success in Africa. Equally whimsical as it is compassionate, it is a must-read book for all fiction fans. Check it out on BookBaby Bookshop today!
Leave a Reply