Why Read The Delicate Affair of Colonel Baquiste

The Delicate Affair of Colonel Baquiste (TDACB) is a story from a fictitious colonization era set within two fictitious nations, Hastan and Llehstanz, nevertheless, the human elements showcased in this novel are very real and pertinent to our current times.

I wrote TDACB because of my personal life experiences having been born and grown up in post-colonial countries, having been on the receiving end of hate, racism, and prejudice.

Call it a means to self-heal with an aspiration to believe that it is possible to overcome prejudice if we recognize that in our human imperfections lie the opportunity for change and the power to choose towards a positive outcome.

If we were perfect and absolute, change would not be possible, if we all put our anger out into the world it would be destructive. But, if we helped ourselves compassionately, we would inevitably help others positively.

It all begins with self-healing and the means to do that is to learn to change our psychological masks by allowing ourselves to immerse in another person’s world, to view the world through a different lens, to take off, even if momentarily, any forced uniform and imposed roles and to disguise ourselves, if only to catch a glimpse of our own former self and to understand the world from a different perspective.

In TDACB, the Colonel goes under disguise to fulfill a military mission while immersing himself in the same society that was conquered by his nation, by the military of the Llehstanz Monarchy.

Under the disguise of naturalist Gulaan Dasmire, the Colonel is able to see his actual self (Valstohl Baquiste) and begins to reconcile Valstohl’s tragic past.

The persona of Gulaan and Valstohl are examined by the Colonel only in disguise which ultimately leads to Colonel Baquiste’s delicate change of heart and allows him to reconcile his past grief.