Decades ago, Massachusetts salesman Ellis Hock spent four years in Africa—and the continent has always held a special place in his heart. When his wife leaves him and his business goes bankrupt, Ellis returns to the one place where he briefly found happiness. His return to the village of Malabo, however, leaves him in shock. The school he built lies in ruins. The people he remembers are poor, apathetic, and hostile. The land seems to be heaving under a great, invisible burden. Nevertheless, Ellis is determined. This is his escape, a paradise regained. But an escape can also be a trap, an ambush for the unwary...