For many of us living in developed western democracies, the sheer "otherness" of Africa’s way of conducting politics renders the actions and events there beyond our comprehension. In a sense this is shameful, considering the strong colonial links that existed between our continents. While we are happy to offer expert opinion about the political intricacies affecting other troubled areas of the world, when it comes to Africa, we have a tendency to bury our heads firmly in the sand.

Paul Beet’s novel, Solitude, goes some way towards filling this knowledge gap. Set in modern day Zimbabwe, it begins with an attack on a white settler couple in an apparent act of ruthless barbarity fuelled by anti-white blood-lust. While, on one level this may be true, as the story unfolds, we learn that there are rival factions in the country for whom seemingly random violence serves a deeper purpose upon which the future of a post-Mugabe Zimbabwe depends. The question is: Whose vision of the future is most feasible? Those who see hope in terms of political change or those for whom economic restructuring is the key?

These questions lead the reader into a moral maze in which sympathies for the various arguments and factions shift depending on which perspective is taken. Even the regime of President Mugabe - a figure whom the rest of the world like to characterise as no more than a crazed despot - is given some legitimate raison d’etre!

However, if this all makes it seem that in his novel Paul Beet is conducting an undergraduate seminar on political philosophy, think again. Nothing could be further than the truth. At its heart Solitude is a gripping action adventure with the sights and sounds of Zimbabwe as its backdrop. The story follows Mike Wilson, a military action man, and his brother, Sean, as they seek to avenge the attack on their parents - the white settlers whose story opens the novel. Although the brothers are armed and experienced, the bloodthirsty militia who were responsible for the attack on their parents are without any modicum of pity or restraint when it comes to dealing with their enemies: the risk of torture and death is never far away.

If there is any lesson to be learnt from Solitude, it is that the future of Zimbabwe will have to be built on peaceful co-operation and co-habitation. But in order for that to be fully achieved, who knows how much sacrifice, loss and hardship will have to be endured?

Solitude is an eye-opening and thought-provoking novel and for me, personally, the fact that it has whetted my appetite for finding out more about future options for this fascinating and complex continent is the greatest endorsement I could give.