Quicksand : What It Means to be a Human Being

"An extraordinarily moving book... The chief strength of this book – and what makes it such a beautiful, moving document – is in the descriptions that Mankell gives of the joy and suffering he has seen, especially in Africa... Throughout Quicksand, there are scenes [of] joy and triumph in the midst of suffering and loss. This grave book, intensely beautiful in spirit, takes us to these places in the thoughtful company of a great soul" (Alexander McCall Smith New Statesman)

"An honourable, courageous piece of work... A work of considerable scope... A remarkable man" (Sean O’Brien i)

"An extraordinary book, mixing the intimate detail of memoir (the incidents from his childhood and early life are told beautifully, and with wonderful economy) with the moral beliefs of a man whose concern with social justice has dictated the pattern of his mature years. At times Mankell can sound like a latter-day Seneca, and he brings the same gravitas and moral authority to bear on his arguments... A deeply serious, and highly uplifting book...profoundly moving." (John Burnside Guardian)

"Potent and evocative" (Nick Rennison The Sunday Times)

"Quicksand, a hybrid of essay and memoir, reflects knowledgeably on art, religion, childhood and the “final insensibility” that is our dying. Rarely has a writer contemplated the mystery of the end of life with such a wide-ranging curiosity" (Ian Thomson Evening Standard)