Four Drunk Beauties

ISBN 9781415201046, published May 2010, Random House/Umuzi

Description
Left to rot in an Iranian prison and under the shadow of death, Kamaal tells fellow-insurgent Drew the story of the four drunk beauties – Elvira the housekeeper and ex-assassin, Lou the Senegalese sculptor, virtuoso cellist Mimi, and Adriette, a food fundi from the Free State. The two men follow the beauties’ wild chase through Iran in pursuit of a killer, a quest undertaken to prevent a catastrophe. And all the while the ancient and modern flavours of a country – its poetry, architecture and music – come to life in the rich and sensual tapestry of Alex Smith’s story-telling.

Reviewed in the Herald by Lloyd Oldham
FOUR DRUNK BEAUTIES by Alex Smith (Umuzi, R180).
THE title of this book may conjure up images of a girls’ night out gone wrong.
But Four Drunk Beauties is a mature, well-written adventure that teaches a few valuable lessons along the way.
It begins with insurgents Drew and Kamaal, who are left to die in an Iranian prison.
They are hungry and defeated, but their spirits are lifted as Kamaal starts telling the story of four drunk beauties.
He describes how the women; an ex-assassin, a sculptor, a virtuoso cellist and a food fundi, travel through Iran in pursuit of a killer.
Their journey is a treat for the senses (especially taste as the women enjoy exotic dishes wherever they travel).
After each chapter of Kamaal’s story the reader is taken back to the prison cell, where the insurgents continue their battle for survival.
One of the most powerful messages I got from the book was how one can recognise the positive in everything, even impending death.
This is evident throughout but can be summarised by this quote from Kamaal to Drew: “Everything is only half serious. The God of tears is also the God of laughter … It is my most certain conviction that people have the best laughs of their lives in the worst situations they ever face.”
Smith’s writing is colourful and compelling and she skillfully manages to simultaneously tell the stories of the four beauties and that of the two prisoners who become the best of friends. – Reviewed by Lloyd Oldham