Mr Malik has fallen in love. But the object of his affections, Rose, doesn't yet know it. While Mr Malik is summoning up the courage to ask her to accompany him to Nairobi's social event of the season -- the Hunt Ball at the Asadi Club -- he discovers he has a rival in the shape of Haryr Khan, his old bete noir from schooldays. Under the auspices of club rules, the two men agree to compete for the right to take Rose to the ball by seeing who can identify the greater number of Kenyan birds over the course of a week. And so the scene is set for one of the strangest and most enchanting contests imaginable. As we follow the travails of his quest, Mr Malik emerges as one of the most unlikely and unforgettable of romantic heroes in a love story that will touch the hearts of all.  (EAF195, $22.00)