The first ten years of my life I was not black. Thus begins this startlingly eloquent and beautiful tale based on the true story of Kwasi Boachi a 19th- century African prince who was sent with his cousin Kwame to be raised in Holland as a guest of the royal family. Narrated by Kwasi himself the story movingly portrays the perplexing dichotomy of the cousins situation: black men of royal ancestry they are subject to insidious bigotry even as they enjoy status among Europe s highest echelons. As their lives wind down different paths-Kwame back to Africa where he enlists in the Dutch army Kwasi to an Indonesian coffee plantation where success remains mysteriously elusive-they become aware of a terrible truth that lies at the heart of their experiences. Vivid subtle poignant and profound The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi is an exquisite masterpiece of story and craft a heartrending work that places Arthur Japin on a shelf that includes Joseph Conrad J.M. Coetzee Kazuo Ishiguro and Nadine Gordimer.