Lemur's Tale

South Africa teeters on the brink of civil war or collapse, so Lawrence decides to leave the country together with his loving wife Dianne and their two young children. "How long do I have to pack?" is her only question. Faced with few options for legal emigration, Lawrence and Dianne buy a yacht intending to sail away from their problems and search for a new home and a fresh start. They ignore, with tragic results, the boat's notorious reputation and the fact that it was cursed by a...
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South Africa teeters on the brink of civil war or collapse, so Lawrence decides to leave the country together with his loving wife Dianne and their two young children. "How long do I have to pack?" is her only question. Faced with few options for legal emigration, Lawrence and Dianne buy a yacht intending to sail away from their problems and search for a new home and a fresh start. They ignore, with tragic results, the boat's notorious reputation and the fact that it was cursed by a Zulu witchdoctor. The family, tested by adversity, pulls together to confound their critics and survive disasters, including a trial by necklacing. Together they overcome hypocrisy, racism, superstition and their own ignorance. When Lawrence is attacked by a predatory pervert after he accepts an opportunity to gain sailing experience, he retaliates and suffers a crisis of conscience. The family sets sail with the wizard's curse as a deadly passenger and with their enemy, bent on revenge, dogging their progress. They land in magical Madagascar, where they swim with sacred sharks, visit God's Upside Down Trees, and are transported to Paradise. They meet The Gold Magnet and encounter a curious Lemur. Lawrence uncovers the source of a mysterious leaf that fuels an orgy of greed and destruction, which results in the loss of everything they own. On a lonely beach, beaten and exhausted, Lawrence gives up but a Frog comes to his rescue. After experiencing heart-breaking generosity from paupers, Lawrence rediscovers the most valuable thing he possesses. The family is offered a place in Paradise, but pay a terrible price. Lemur's Tale is based upon actual events in the author's life.