Love, Life or Diamonds

This is a story based in Africa in the 1980s, where mystery, romance and adventure take place. Although it's fiction, there are parts of this book that are true. A French family immigrates to Africa but shortly after their arrival, the parents and their only son, Pierre, are set up by powers in high places, to take the rap for a drug bust. Because of their limited knowledge of the language and law, they are sentenced to work in a diamond mine for the rest of their lives. While working down the mines, Pierre is made an offer he can't refuse. An offer is made which will free his parents and himself. He didn't know it then but he had to pay a high price for their freedom. His job was to snuggle uncut diamonds out of the mine. The plot is organized by two friends, one of whom is on the "inside". After the diamond heist, Pierre is sent to Cape Town where he is to meet up with a jeweler, Jessy, who arranges for the stones to be cut. She knows nothing about the set-up and they fall irrevocably in love. Unable to confess to Jessy of his plot, Jacques has to return to the ship where his parents are being held captive.