This book reads like a ‘from rags to riches’, an American dream, but the dream started in war torn Sierra Leone, where death ran thick through the street. Where poverty reigned, where death was a common friend for all those who tried to live. This the story of Mabinty Bangura, who was born and raised … Continue reading review TAKING FLIGHT
review THE HIRED MAN
Let us go to the small town of Gost, set in the small country of Croatia. This town and its dwindling population have weathered the civil war raging Yugoslavia or what is left of it. Many people have lost their life or have moved to the coast where tourism is on its way back. The … Continue reading review THE HIRED MAN
review A LONG WAY GONE
Wars produce stories. Stories of death and disaster. Stories of lives torn apart. Stories of people who were changed for the remaining part of their lives. The civil war in Sierra Leone produced stories. One of these is the story of Ismael Beah. He for the first time encountered the civil war when he was … Continue reading review A LONG WAY GONE
‘My own books make me cry as I write – it’s pathetic’
There is a book she has underrated. It is book written by the Nigerian author Helon Habila. The book was published in 2002. This comment was made by the Sierra Leonian Scottish writer Aminatta Forna. She made this comment and other comments about books in her life in this interview.
Meet the writers: Aminatta Forna
This is a nice interview with the BBC, in the series Meet the Writers. The Scottish / Sierra Leonan writer Aminatta telles about her life, her parents, her writing and a few other things. Normally we read the words of writers, now you have the opportunity to hear the words of this writer. Take your … Continue reading Meet the writers: Aminatta Forna
DE LANGE WEG
My secondhand copy of this book (The Long Road) has been signed by the writer Bruce Cerew in 2010, in the Dutch town of Ede. He travelled a long way to get to The Netherlands. I assume that this book is an autobiography, in which Bruce writes about his life in Nigeria (where he was … Continue reading DE LANGE WEG
books touched by Africa 