So many books like this get bogged down in misery and po-faced realism. Mine Boy, however, is quite fun to read. It uses humor well and keeps things moving - even in its most serious moments, Abrahams counterbalances sorrow with levity, longing, and joy. The conclusions he draws are simple without being simplistic, while fully embracing the complexities of its setting. All in all, a sterling example of its class, and a text many of today's idpol-indulging autofiction authors would benefit from reading.