Inside the Crocodile
Subtitle The Papua New Guinea Journals
By Trish Nicholson
Published by
Matador
ISBN 9781784624422
Category NON-FICTION
Winter 2015
Synopsis
In the wilds of the most diverse nation on earth, while she copes with crocodiles under the blackboard and sorcery in the office, Trish Nicholson survives near-fatal malaria and mollifies irascible politicians and an ever-changing roster of bosses – realities of life for a development worker.
Author's Biography
Dr Trish Nicholson, writer, social anthropologist and world traveller, has twenty years of experience in international development in the Asia Pacific. During her five years in the West Sepik province of Papua New Guinea, she served as Honorary Consul for the British High Commission.
Reviews
'[A} sprightly and warm-hearted memoir... with easy humour and affectionate prose' – Sydney Morning Herald
Price £12.99
Reader Comments
A very detailed and enjoyable memoir!
A fascinating and skilfully written tale.
Trish Nicholson's writing is engaging and informative, atmospheric and pacey. Her fascination for the places and peoples she meets is infectious. Highly recommended.
A well written and thoughtful account.
Enjoyed the taster, will read the whole book next
A sympathetic and heart-warming account of local and expat life with all its frustrations, hilarity, occasional triumphs and even terror. Trish Nicholson’s zest for new experiences there keeps the story rattling along, drawing in the reader, yet interspersed with thoughtful reflections on creating sustainable rural development. A lovely read.
Exciting/terrifying moments in a land where head-hunting still exists, dangerous wild animals a threat, malaria rampant, travel a nightmare, communication difficult, and yet humour and compassion flourish.
more addictive than TV.
This is a book that gives the reader a remarkable insight into a world most of us will never see or could imagine living in. The stories Trish Nicholson tells are fascinating, heart-warming and occasionally terrifying. And you live it with her, the frustrations, the triumphs, the setbacks and the day to day living, every inch of the way. Highly recommended.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, an absolute pleasure to read.
'Inside the Crocodile' is based on the diaries Trish Nicholson kept during the five years she spent as a development worker as part of a World Bank funded project in Papua New Guinea. She arrived there from Scotland in the late 1980s and stayed until the early 1990s. It's a first-class example of a travel-memoir and it's an enthralling read.
Trish tells of how, in order to do her job, she had to negotiate a very tricky path within a complex system of local politics and bureaucracy and an even more complex grace-and-favour social system. She warmly describes her remarkable colleagues and how she formed strong working relationships and friendships.
She paints a vivid picture of this (to me at any rate) unfamiliar part of the world. The reader can visualise the dramatic scenery, feel the humid heat and taste the exotic food.
There are accounts of many dangerous moments - in tiny aeroplanes flying low over high peaks, of jungle hikes involving rickety bridges over deep ravines, and of her own brush with death due to malaria.
There's a real TV documentary feel to this book - so clear is the writing. You feel as you read that you're experiencing life in this jungle landscape, including the appearance of the eponymous crocodile.
This is a superb account of a brave and resourceful woman's time in one of the world's most remote and challenging locations.
A fascinating travel memoir of cultural enlightenment, personal growth and adventure.