Way Out, Alain Lavelle

Al, in his fifties, has just lost his best friend in Africa. Depressed, he leaves this continent disfigured by barbarism, corruption, and bloody dictatorships. His attempt to settle in France fails. Rejecting the Jacobin and administrative spirit of his country, the corporate reticence of its inhabitants, and the temptation of withdrawal by its leaders, he decides to embark on a cargo ship bound for Australia. Rejecting any idea of return, he hopes to find, through chance stops, a land where harmony among people and a good life are part of daily existence. A lover of the sea, wide-open spaces, and islands, he will experience adventures he could never have imagined. From Australia to the Trobriand Islands, passing through Bali, the Sunda Islands, Timor, and West Papua, he experiences a succession of happy and dramatic events.