Tumult in Mecca

Tumult in Mecca: From Civil Servant to Global Business Adventurer transports readers to 1979, a year of upheaval and change.

Henrik Bertelsen, a Danish civil servant and baby boomer, is dedicated to his stable life in Copenhagen. Alongside his English wife, Sammy, they are building a co-housing community and navigating the complex adoption of a child from Indonesia. Henrik longs for peace and stability to secure his career.

But life takes an unexpected turn when he is offered the chance to renovate hospital kitchens in Saudi Arabia. His adventurer’s spirit is awakened, and Henrik plunges into a world far removed from the predictable corridors of Danish bureaucracy.

As the project escalates, Henrik finds himself caught in the Mecca conflict—an armed religious uprising that places him in grave danger. Trapped between rebels and police in one of the holiest cities in the world, he must rely on his instincts to survive.

Escape brings him more than safety—it opens the door to a lucrative job offer from an American tech company, setting his life on an entirely new path. Tumult in Mecca masterfully weaves Henrik’s personal quest for fulfilment with the global turbulence of 1979, capturing the tension between career and adventure, ambition and family, security and risk.

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One of the features of “Tumult in Mecca” is the detailed narrative. Although the author claims it’s fiction, you are left with a feeling that it must have happened—a dilemma to ponder. The book’s structure, with its short chapters and clear subheadings, keeps the reader on track. Additionally, there is humour interwoven throughout the text.

Liz Twinch

“Tumult in Mecca” combines elements of historical fiction, business development, cultural exploration, and personal growth, making it a compelling read for those interested in these themes. It is both fun and exciting. Hard to put down.

Per Steen Pedersen

Henrik Bertelsen is a child of the ’60s who seeks a balance between his ideals and his adventurous spirit. Building co-housing communities and making adoptions are costly, and money must be made. His reflections, quirky analyses, and practical approach to his work at the ministry and the project in the Middle East create a highly entertaining narrative.

Tine Curtis

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Despite being busy at the ministry, lecturing at the local university, setting up a co-housing community, and preparing for an adoption, the protagonist, baby boomer Henrik Bertelsen, embarks on a business adventure in Saudi Arabia.

When he is asked to renovate the canteens at the University of Mecca, he gets caught up in an armed religious uprising, where he represents the bad guys.

The adventure changes his life.

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Tumult in Mecca

Seize the Opportunity

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