Not so many years ago, we loved hearing James Deibert perform—both with his band at a local watering hole, or singing solo at a coffee house with his Mom listening in on his cell phone. James and his long-time friend Marie make a powerful duet, too, singing cover songs and some of James’ originals. I loved them all, but one song of his got to me especially—“Solid Gold”. Appropriately, James got a charge out of my novel as well. James is an auditor by day and a songwriting vocalist and guitar player all other hours. He is a member of the Portland band Cover Story, and this is what he wrote about Bentari:

“One of the strongest aspects of the book is that it tells an undeniably interesting story. You have a unique combination of subjects and characters here. I also found the plot to be well layered and extremely suspenseful—great tension!

Bentari flying through the trees was a wonderful image. Reading it, I remembered wishing I could swing through a forest just like that when I was a young boy.

‘How the dead bear guilt’—One hell of a title [chapter 8] and a poignant lesson behind it.

Thanks for letting me read Bentari. It's an impressive piece of work!”

James, you are welcome! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I still love your songs, especially “Solid Gold”! And your kindness is worth more to me than gold—in any amount.

The conflict in Bentari is centered on a struggle for riches—the mineral wealth that has beckoned invaders and been the bane of indigenous Congolese for over a century. Gold! The Germans would fund a war with it. The local tribe, Bentari’s tribe, guards its whereabouts without even understanding its monumental worth and without knowing the role that the outrageous bounty would play in their future and the future of a nation.

Learn all about the band Cover Story at: http://www.myspace.com/coverstorypdx

Photo courtesy of James.