Хеннинг Манкелль - A Treacherous Paradise

But we do know that Swedish ships berthed in Lourenço Marques, often carrying cargoes of timber to Australia. And most probably there were women crew members now and then, mainly cooks.

In other words, everything beyond those basic facts is speculation. Apart from the bureaucratic evidence in an old ledger. When it came to taxes gathered, colonial civil servants were scrupulous with the facts. Every year it was necessary to convince the government in Lisbon that the colony really was a profit-making venture.

So, she really did exist and lived in Lourenço Marques, because the archives do not lie. She paid impressive amounts of tax.

My story is therefore based on the little we know, and all that we don’t know.

Henning Mankell

Gothenburg, June 2011

Tontonto Nickname of a home-brewed spirit with a high alcohol content

O Paraiso Paradise

Shangana A language spoken in southern parts of Mozambique

Capulana Piece of batik cloth used by women as a loincloth in Mozambique

Pau preto Very hard, black type of wood found in Africa

A Magrinha The thin one

Feticheiro/a Male or female witchdoctor

Xhipamanhine One of the oldest black settlements in Maputo, Mozambique. Maputo used to be called Lourenço Marques

Bombeiros Firemen

Ana Branca White Ana

Ana Negra Black Ana

Belinda Bonita The beautiful Belinda

Halakavuma The name in Shangana of a large lizard that is considered to possess magical wisdom

Fortuna The fortunate one