Charles Addo

Burdens of the Mirage Dream Charles Addo

A young man, David, travels to America in search of success, only to discover a complex labyrinth of harsh reality and success that seem evasive. A thought-provoking novel that epitomizes the struggles of the African immigrant in America, who has fallen victim to the African brain drain and caught in two worlds, where returning is almost as tedious as realizing his dreams of success in America. In a detailed recollection, Charles Addo articulates David's struggles, as he searches for ways to success. At last, David grows to realize that corruption and economic mismanagement that permeate the African political system are largely accountable for the African brain drain problem of which he has himself fallen victim. He hooks up with a friend, in an Internet-based campaign that successfully helps topple in a first-ever transfer of political power from one elected government to another in Africa, the corrupt rule of army captain Rawlings, head of a military junta that seized political power earlier. A must-read novel that inspires with an unusual insight into the resilience of the human spirit, and offers food for thought for the future crop of African leaders regarding the adverse impact of brain drain on the African continent.