My Driver is a novel by English author Maggie Gee, and is the sequel to My Cleaner.[1] It was first published in 2009 by Telegram Books.

My Driver
First edition
AuthorMaggie Gee
LanguageEnglish
PublisherTelegram Books
Publication date
Mar 2009
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pages300
ISBN978-1846590795
Preceded byMy Cleaner 

The novel is set in Uganda in the lead-up to the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala.

The book has three main characters :

  • London author Vanessa Henman is travelling to Uganda to attend a British Council sponsored conference for African authors to be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala and afterwards as a tourist to see mountain gorillas in Bwindi.
  • Mary Tendo, Vanessa's former cleaner is now Executive Housekeeper at the Sheraton; and is unaware that Vanessa will be attending the conference.
  • Trevor Patchett, Vanessa's former husband is a plumber and has been invited out to Uganda by Mary Tendo to repair a well in her home village which is no longer supplying water, he is also unaware of Vanessa's visit.

Three other narratives make occasional appearances

  • Back in London Vanessa and Trevor's son Justin is looking after his son Abdul Trevor who is unwell whilst Zakira his partner is travelling to Brussels on business
  • On the border between Uganda and DR Congo a hungry teenage LRA child-conscript is trying to make his way back home to Uganda
  • By way of contrast President Museveni considers his options in dealing with the international tensions.

Reception

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References

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  1. ^ "My Driver" at Amazon.
  2. ^ Lionel Shriver, "My Driver by Maggie Gee: review", The Telegraph
  3. ^ Maggie Gee profile, Curtis Brown.
  4. ^ Patrick Ness, "Out of struggle", The Guardian, 28 March 2009.
  5. ^ "My Driver" page, Telegram.
  6. ^ Matthew Green, "My Driver" - review, Financial Times, 13 April 2009.
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