A YEAR AT THE EDGE OF THE JUNGLE tells the story of Fred's time there. It also examines the predicament of the young Belgian couple whose friendship rescues him from loneliness and hardship. They stand to lose everything they've tried to build. As the danger grows, USIS makes Coq a two-man post. The senior officer sent in detests the place. Fearful of the danger, he orders a premature evacuation, tainting American standing in Coq. Fred lobbies to return. The embassy sends him back, again alone. A YEAR AT THE EDGE OF THE JUNGLE makes compelling reading about a young man serving as "the American presence" in a remote and hazardous part of the developing world.