A Parable Of International Development From Dave Eggers
In a slim novel called The Parade, two mismatched men are sent to a war-torn country to pave a highway in 12 days. "But ultimately," the author says, "it's not really about either one of these guys."
In 12 days, there will be a parade to celebrate a road unifying two regions of a country torn apart by a decades-long civil war. That is, if two contractors are able to construct the road in time.
That's the premise of Dave Eggers' new novel The Parade, a slim meditation on the difficulties of global development and aid work. The story follows two men — we know them only as Four and Nine — who work for a faceless corporation, tasked with paving this highway while making as few waves as possible.
Nine is the advance scout,
