African Books

i've always been attracted to black women. This rare book contains the personal narratives of twenty black women, young and old, of diverse backgrounds, and of diverse temperaments. This book has opened the door for me in understanding black women more intimately.

Unforetunately i have noted one negative characteristic in all stories given in this book. All the women in this book share the same affliction. It is a consistent theme throughout this book. And that theme is that black women are PERPETUALLY DISCONTENT. They are NEVER satisfied with anything, or anyplace, or anybody. They're always ON THE MOVE. Black women are always moving from one city to another, from one boyfriend to another, from one job to another, from one apartment to another, from one religion to another. It never ends.

Black women only "settle down" when they end up having a baby. When they become a single mom then they are forced by the circumstances to "stay put". This is always the period when they express regrets about leaving such and such a job, or such and such a boyfriend.

i can personally testify to black women's impetuosity. i've had seven girlfriends in my dry life. And i'm proud to say they were ALL black. But guess what? They all left me one after another. i was a man in a long chain of men that they were "moving" through. i was deeply hurt everytime. Yet i'm still seeking another Nubian Queen to be with.

None the less, i would call this a LANDMARK book and would whole-heartedly recommend it to everyone who loves black women as much as i do.

20 stories by 20 black women, 2 of them separated, 2 of them married, which leaves 16 single black women. of those 16 single black women, the number of them who have children...math is tiring, i don't want to do the work. so without pleading a problematic here, let's just say 'it is what it is'. still, might conclusions, for some folk, be reached, there are no good black men as husband material, and marriage isn't all that important for black folk? such conclusions remain a vicious circle. hopefully, her, rose's, book proves a starting point, an inspiration and a calling for and a telling of more stories.

I was interested in reading this book because I am a latino male who's been involved with African American women since I can remember. I watned to read this book to inform mysself about how it was like to be an African American woman in America. I've discovered that they are very strong and have gone through alot in their lives from the stories of the many women in this book. I had read this book about a two or three years ago and it was very informative, but I know that there is still much to learn.

When I say "Hard", I mean this book is so strong! This book took me a while to read because I had to take breaks in between each woman's story...I could identify with more than one woman's story (I'm sure a lot of people will be able to) and that's what makes this book worth every page...I recommend it to anyone who feels as though the struggles they deal with are only theirs...

Tricia Rose turns academic research into a literary masterpiece. She interviewed 20 African American females with various ethnic backgrounds, broad range of age, and socioeconomic upbringing. Rose organized the real life commentaries on sex, intimacy, relationships, and race into a narrative that will carry you through a broad range of emotions. The women speak truth to situations that happen in every day life but are considered taboo in the African American community. 
Rose starts the book with a discussion about the negative stereotypes in regards to sex and intimacy that are portrayed about the African American female in the media. The purpose of the book was developed as an attempt to answer the question, "how has the history of race, class, and gender inequality in this country affected the way that black women talk about their sexual lives?" Rose answered this question and much more. Longing to Tell is a mirror image of African American female sexuality in contemporary society as well as an oral history that serves as a vibrant presentation for everyday readers and scholars alike. 
The stories are captured and categorized into three different areas: Through the Fire; Guarded Heart; and Always Something Left to Love. The women, whose names and locations have been changed to protect their anonymity, openly discuss their sexual history; how they learned about sex, masturbation, orgasms, and experience of first menstruation, virginity, pregnancy, and motherhood; sexual abuse, rape, sexism, sexual fantasy and sexual orientation. Some of the tales in the book are horrendous such as incest, rape, domestic abuse and sexual harassment but while knocked down these women were not knocked out. Many tell about the love from friends, family and at times even the smiles of strangers brought them back from the depths of despair. The stories are all different and engaging as their experiences were dynamic while thought provoking. Does your definition of sexuality characterize how you live life? 
Longing To Tell is an extraordinary account on how African American women survive despite the incredible odds against them. As an adjunct professor of African American Studies, I highly recommend this book as a study into the mind of black women. As an avid reader, I strongly encourage you to read this book as a motivational guide on finding your way out of the struggle. African American women are the cornerstones of modern society and this book proves that!
Reviewed by M. Bruner for Loose Leaves Book Review

This is my favorite storyteller and her short stories are wonderful. They transport you to another time and place. The thing I love best about this book is the little life lessons she puts in it not preachy just real things you can relate to and learn from.

I have heard for years what a great writer J. California Cooper is and how people love just about anything she produces. Despite hearing all of the accolades and praises for this author, life happened and I never got around to reading one of her works. I could slap myself for all of the years I missed out on the tales from this adroit storyteller. Her dialogue brings Hurston to mind, and her characters in THE MATTER IS LIFE are just as strong as any of the greats. In fact, I am adding Cooper to my list of greats after reading this collection of beautifully human stories about how people can get in their own ways and how life is life.

My favorite story in this collection happened to be the longest. Could it be that I was able to savor even more of Cooper's wisdom in "The Doras?" It's possible, but more than that, this was a story that had me hanging on to every word about a woman with a dream for her daughters. The narrators in all the stories seem to be sages of sorts; the narrator isn't always a central character in the piece, but she seems to know all the goings on of the people of whom she speaks. This was refreshing and different, and I felt as though she and I were having an all-out gossip session. Don't get me wrong; the stories in this compilation are deep and to the point. There is a lesson to be learned within each tale's contributory pages.

I just can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this reading journey. My only complaint is that it was over too soon. Luckily for me, there are numerous other Cooper releases for me to enjoy.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

J. California Cooper has a way of crafting a story that makes you feel as if you are sitting in the room with the characters as they go about their daily lives.

These stories make you actually FEEL what the characters are going through, and when the stories end, you feel like a friend has walked away.

I definitely recommend this book and any others by this author.

I need more stars.

J. California Cooper is one of the best authors of our time who doesn't receive the praise due to her. Her short stories are filled with colorful characters that keep you turning the pages. I'll read anything she releases. Ms. Cooper is in a class by herself. Much love and support to you. I can't wait for your next release.

This book is a wonderful mosaic of characters, perspectives, and lifestyles. I've always seen Cooper's books in the store, but didn't pick one up until "The Matter is Life." I haven't been able to put the book down and am looking forward to picking up more of her short story collections.

Professor Godfrey Mwakikagile is unquestionably one of Africa's leading academic and public intellectuals addressing our continent's problems today with intellectual verve. One has only to read his book, "The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation," among others, to appreciate this.

A Tanzanian by birth, but a Pan-Africanist in outlook, he draws inspiration from two African titans, the late former Presidents Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, my native land, who saw Africa as one, even if a fragmented whole. Dr. Mwakikagile also takes a continental approach, providing a sharp analysis of the modern African state which, he contends, is deeply flawed. Few would disagree with him. Just come to Africa and see for yourself. Those of us who live here know this to be true, painfully true.

I just wish that his works were more accessible to members of the general public. As hardcover and library editions, the cost is prohibitive; and as college textbooks, accessible to only a few.

His work is outstanding, nonetheless. Africa has many intellectuals of his stature and calibre, but few as committed and analytical, and as compassionate for the masses as he and a few - very few - of his colleagues are. One is also reminded of firebrands such as Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong'o and my fellow countryman George Ayittey, an economics professor and author of "Africa Betrayed," and "Africa in Chaos." Africa is indeed in chaos. It is, in fact, chaos!

We wish we had more of such committed intellectuals. And it would be even better if our leaders paid attention to what they say. Unfortunately, they don't. Instead, they destroy them. While other countries highly value their intellectuals and the contributions they make, African countries - the leaders in particular - destroy ours. And you wonder why Africa has lost so many of them to other countries where they have the freedom to think and say what they want to say? And you wonder why so many of those still in Africa end up in the grave or rotting in prison?

Our leaders can stop this brain drain, the carnage, and the persecution of these committed intellectuals and others - just plain ordinary folks - who demand their natural right to be treated as human beings in their own countries. But such fundamental change is impossible without transparency and accountability. And it is impossible without democracy, true democracy, not the counterfeit kind so prevalent across Africa. And the author make this clear, abundantly clear, in his masterpiece, "The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation."

African leaders, nothing but dictators, may hate to hear what Dr. Mwakikagile says in this book and others. But they would at least be of some service to Africa if they heeded Voltaire's advice: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it."

Unfortunately, they are not that enlightened, because of the darkness in their mind.

An excellent book, well-written, packed with vital information, highly analytical, and professorial. But not pro-African, I'm sorry to say, in spite of all its merits.

Why highly intelligent and educated people like Godfrey Mwakikagile and others of his ilk write books so critical of Africa, is beyond me. What they say is true. Rwanda made history - it was our Nazi Germany. So did Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Sudan and many others, leaving indelible scars on our continent. We couldn't even hide that from the rest of the world, and still can't, I'm ashamed to admit. They all made history. And many continue to do so.

But why help our detractors and enemies make Africa look so bad? You can say - we already look bad! And we do. It's all on television, on the radio, and in newspapers worldwide, in all kinds of languages. But that does not mean we Africans should also harp on it, like these African writers and our enemies do.

Remember the old saying: Do not air your dirty laundry in public. Although you may not always want to keep it in the closet. But don't just toss it out there in the yard, either.

Say something good about Africa, even if it's not much. So nothing good comes out of Africa, just because we have all these wars, AIDS and other diseases, hunger, illiteracy, poverty and corruption? Come on!

If Mwakikagile had plenty of good things to say about Africa in the same book, in spite of all its negative aspects, I would have been tempted to give it the highest rating, five stars, for excellence. I'm sorry I can't.

Professor Mahmoud Mamdani, a leading African scholar who teaches at Columbia University, uses Godfrey Mwakikagile's book "The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation," as a textbook for graduate studies. Other professors use the book as an assigned or recommended text for graduate students in African and development studies and international affairs. It is also found in graduate school libraries across the United States like all the other books written by Godfrey Mwakikagile who, himself, is becoming an increasingly influential African scholar.

But that is not the only reason why his book, "The Modern African State...," got my attention. At a recent academic seminar on Africa, one of the participants cited George Ayittey's work, "Africa in Chaos," together with Godfrey Mwakikagile's "The Modern African State...," in his discussion of civil conflicts on the continent. Most of the participants knew or had heard about Ayittey. But that was the first time some of us heard about Mwakikagile, although quite a few had. His work, "The Modern African State...," equally trenchant as Ayittey's, is a great contribution to the growing literature about post-colonial Africa written by the Africans themselves.

It is interesting to see that more and more African intellectuals are taking an "internalist" approach to Africa's problems instead of always blaming external forces for her plight. Dr. Mwakikagile is one of them.

But such an approach must be balanced with an analysis of external involvement, including colonialism. Africa is still reeling from its devastating impact. However, this does not mean that all of Africa's problems should be placed entirely on the shoulders of her former colonial masters, as many Africans who take the "externalist" approach are fond of doing.

Most of the problems Africa faces today - rampant corruption, mismanagement, brutal repression, ethnic conflicts, hunger, illiteracy, endemic poverty and disease - are either caused or exarcebated by the Africans themselves; not by the former colonial masters who are now even being asked by some Africans to go back and rule them again. Things are that bad. And it is African writers like Mwakikagile who should be commended for taking up the challenge to tell the truth about their continent, however bitter.

It would be even more encouraging if their kith and kin here in the United States, African Americans, also faced this reality, instead of romanticizing Africa. Randall Robinson of TransAfrica is the exception, together with a few others; although their attitude is not the same as the attitude of black conservatives who are sometimes extremely hostile toward Africa and usually don't want to have anything to do with - "that place." Foregetting that white Republicans and others don't care about them either. They don't even want them in the Republic party. Alan Keyes knows that. Brilliant, highly articulate, he should have been the standard-bearer of his party, but still was not nominated as the Republican presidential candidate because he is black. And, yes, African!

But bad as their attitude is, one must not entirely ignore what black American conservatives - they hate to be called African Americans - say about Africa. Africa's problems can only be solved by Africans. We can help them, but the initiative must come from them.

It is also in this context that Dr. Godfrey Mwakikagile's highly acclaimed work, "The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation," must be viewed; although, unlike black American conservatives who hate Africa and by extension hate themselves, he writes out of deep concern for the well-being of his continent as much as his compatriot Professor George Ayittey does, as do many others.

This is a work of mature scholarship by one of our finest and most mature African intellectuals writing about Africa today. Having read his other writings as well, there's no question that they meet the criteria of informed scholarship and standards of rigorous analysis one would expect from a writer and scholar of this calibre.

Africa has lost an entire generation since independence because of bad leadership. And the author is blunt about it.

Highly critical of corrupt leaders across the continent, also notorious for brutal repression, he's mature enough to be on guard against blind acceptance of multiparty democracy patterned after Western parliamentary institutions, unlike many other Africans who have embraced wholesale the virtues of multipartyism as it is practised in the West, without taking African realities into account, simply because they have suffered so much under the one-party state, de jure and de facto.

Neither the one-party system, suppressing dissent, nor the multi-party system, promoting sectarianism, is ideal for Africa. The author is critical of both, yet realistic enough to give multiparty politics a chance in this highly unstable continent whose most combustible elements include conflicting ethnic loyalties transcending nationalism. How to defuse this highly volatile situation is one of the most urgent issues Godfrey Mwakikagile addresses in his book, "The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation."

I have only one complaint, although even this does not in any way impair the quality of his work or diminish the validity of his central thesis. AIDS is devastating Africa. Entire communities are being wiped out. The author should have devoted at least an entire chapter or two to this pandemic which has already killed more than 20 million Africans, and is killing millions more every year. May be that is a subject for one of the books he may write in the future. I hope so, on a continent with so little hope.

Mwakikagile's work is a masterpiece of fact and analysis. In the one book he manages to extensively cover the 'rebirth' of Liberia, the 'powerless' state of Sierra Leone, 'ethnic cleansing' in Rwanda, 'stateless' Somalia, slavery in Mauritania and Sudan, and the fall of Mobutu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire). Any one of the topics is the subject of a book in itself.

Mwakikagile uses the precedents of the history of other African countries, as well as other countries around the world, to make a case for the fragility of the 'African State' as an institution owing to structural flaws.

In his introduction he states, "In a very tragic way, Sierra Leone is Africa, and Africa is Sierra Leone. So is Somalia, Congo-Brazzaville, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Angola. And so is Rwanda, Burundi, Congo-Kinshasa and Nigeria."

This sets the tone for the rest of the book that is full of comparisons between countries. At times this can be confusing for someone trying to concentrate on a single issue. But then Mwakikagile deliberately does this to bring home the fact that Africa is not, or should not be, considered a collection of numerous unrelated states, but a continent with a common experience much closer than many would care to admit.

Mwakikagile does not pull any punches in condemning those who he considers guilty of causing the current woes of Africa. He also does not hesitate to name the continent's heroes.

The whole book is a great read for scholars and people merely interested in affairs on the continent. Some scholars may quibble with some of the facts as he presented them, but in general the book reads as a piece put together by someone who has taken the trouble to research his facts properly.

Recommended reading for anyone wishing to get up to speed on African affairs.

I first heard of this book when I was in 5th grade (about 10-11 yrs. old)...I'm 28 now. My African-American teacher would read us stories from it. I remember enjoying the stories so much that I bought this book for my son about 2 yrs. ago. My son is almost 3 now & while he can't read yet, I know he will enjoy the stories as much as I have. This book comes with a CD & is narrated by the author & James Earl Jones...the narration was well done. I listened to the CD & I felt as if I had gone back in time. The narrators are so vivid & they really get your attention. The CD is definitely a plus & the book was well written. I really like that the stories have morals & life lessons that we can learn from. I recommend buying this version of the book because it comes with the CD. I also recommend this book for children 9 & up. This book would be a great addition to anyone's book collection. I hope my review is helpful.

I read this book when I was in elementary school and fell in love with it. Virginia Hamilton really captures the essence of West African story telling and transfers that essence into American form. As an educator and historian, the lessons in this book has stayed with me for well over 18 yrs and I suspect the lessons will remain with me forever. I recommend that this book is on the shelves of every African American family.

As a storyteller and folklorist/historian, it saddens me that so few children today know anything about the joys of hearing a good tale from a wise elder. In Black America in particular, generations of children (including my father, thank God) had the wonderful tales of Brer Rabbit, Little 8 John, Raw head & Bloody Bones, Wiley & The Hairy Man, and the People Who Could Fly (title story) told to them as today's children are familiar with Kim Possible and the Proud Family.

I bought this for my beloved niece when she was eight and pretty soon, she began entertaining the children of the neighborhood with these tales just as I did after listening to my dad and I still do during storytelling gigs today.

Virginia Hamilton (RIP) did a masterful work in leaving this beautiful legacy to a generation where it is fast disappearing. She does a good job in interpreting the likes of Wiley the Hairy man, Raw Head and Bloody Bones (the PC crowd occasionally complains about this being too scary for kids as well as Brer Rabbit-let these crybaby fools go ahead with that sickening Barney the Dinosaur and the care bears). The edition that I bought for my neice was before the CD with Miss Hamilton and voicemaster James Earl Jones came out, but I have younger neices and nephews (and hopefully my own children in the future) that I will certainly look out for this for.

Another reason why this collection is in such need is that often, African-American parents (rightfully) complain about the lack of wholesome entertainment for their children in particular. Unfortunately, most parents of today were not exposed to these stories as I was and this often leads to well-intentioned but foolish recent activities such as the NAACP here in Charleston (SC) complaining about the lack of Black Santa Clauses in the local malls. As Miss Hamilton and those of us raised in the folklore tradition know, we have enough good things of our own culture to pass down to children than to worry of the color of Santa Claus.

Buy this, reconnect with your children, and enjoy.

This book is a trifecta:

1. You get to hear the author read her own writing. If you want to hear Virginia Hamilton and James Earl Jones adding their own special lyrical beauty to the reading of these stories, then purchase this version. Considering that Ms. Hamilton died in 2002, this CD is a must have.

I think it is important for children to hear the author reading their own work. So if you can't get to a book reading by the author, this is the next best thing. And you get to hear it over and over again.

2. The illustrations are magical, delicate, and powerful. Every child (but especially black and white) in this nation should hear the stories in this book. Before they know color issues, they should get to know the beauty and dignity of brown skin. To hear the dignity, power, and humanity of their own heritage or that of someone elses, before a world of anger taints them.

3. At the end of each story is a brief history of the story: it's origin, and variations, and other facts that help the story to become more real and personal, especially for a child who wants to know more about their heritage. This will inspire them to ask questions and (if they're older) do research as it cause me to do.

I read this to my daughter, Rachel, and she really enjoyed it. She smiled throughout the entire book. She loved the animal folktales about Bruh Rabbit, and Bruh Fox. She trembled with delight at the reading of the scary tales. As for her mother, my favorite was the title tale, The People Could Fly. It was magical!

My five-year-old daughter was fascinated with this book even though it didn't include fairies, animals, or dinosaurs. I was very happy with the information they presented which gives some basic information about Dr. King while not treating his death in such a way that might overly upset sensitive children like mine. The illustrations are wonderfully done and my daughter looked them over carefully for a long time. It is a wonderful opportunity to launch more discussions about racism and the way we treat other people because of their gender, race, or religion.

I LIKE THE STORY BECAUSE HE TOLD THE LIFE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE BOY HIS FREINDS SAID THEY COULD NOT PLAY WITH HIM BECAUSE HE WAS BLACK.

Martin Luther King , Jr was born in Atlalta , Goagia. He was born on January 15 , 1929. He led the March of Washington on August 28, 1964 and gave his speech.
THe book was really great.

DR.king was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. He played football when he was a child. He couldn't play with his friends because he was black and they were white. He wanted to change this and changed the world.
I really like the book. He inspired me to keep the Golden Rule.

DR.King was born in Alanta Gorgia. He like to play football &baseball. He played football in his backyeard. One day his friends couldn't play with him because he was black. He wanted to change this and changed the world.

Dr. Renford Reese places himself at the human epicenter of correctional policies by going into the prison system, (both physically and statistically), to try to critically analyze correctional policies. In doing so, he finds cracks, which he argues have managed to create a "Prison Race" due to high rates of recidivism, including the 3 Strikes Law.
The book does not excuse the crimes committed by those caught in the revolving door, but rather attempts to draw connections between values and the shaping of correctional policies whose policy threads are woven in our every day lives and statistically have impacted some more than others. This book is important for anyone interested in understanding correctional policies or looking to shape them, and also for anyone interested in creating programs, community change, and leadership.

Prison Race is a very informative and thought provoking book. Professor Reese does an outstanding job explaining the corruption behind the prison system and the consequences of counterproductive criminal justice laws.

It's a must READ!

Linda Redford

I would never know about this book if it was not for an email I received from Professor Renford Resse's student. However, after reading this book I can say that this book is a great and informative book but although a little short. Nevertheless, Professor Resse deliver the readers with a great insight of our shameful correctional system. It is books like this that will revolutionalized our policies and our law makers in the way we deal with the criminal justice system. As an American, living in a country that promotes justice and Human right thus, as an American it is truly sad and embarrassing to see people treated this way. Again, great book, I recommend it to anyone which I did here at Yale's social sciences department.

Prison Race is a very informative and literary book that clearly explains the corruption behind the prison system. Dr. Reese is very descriptive and detailed as he explains the counterproductive criminal justice laws that are in place, some of which have caused recidivism (the revolving door of prisoners.)

Chapter three was written solely by a former prisoner who shares his experience while serving a 12 year sentence behind prison walls. I found his experience extremely interesting and quite captivating.

While I applaud Reese for such a work well done, I'm a bit concerned that his focus was on male prisoners and said very little about female prisoners. I think by addressing the other gender, it would have given his readers a broader presepective.

Just a Thought!

This is the second book that I read by the famous Dr. Renford Reese, as a former student at Cal Poly Pomona, and have had the opportunity to take not just one, but two of Dr. Reese's political science classes, and I can surelyt say that Dr. Reese is nothing short of incredible. He is very intelligent, articulate, and charismatic, and he truly cared about every single one of his students. From my experience here at Cal Poly Pomona, I can say that Dr. Reese my favorite teacher of all time and that Dr. Reese is one of the most beloved Professor at Cal Poly Pomona. He is not only my former professor but my mentor. I am very proud to have Dr. Reese as my mentor. Never in my life have I met or had someone this influential in my life besides my parents. His new book, Prison Race is amazing, and is a must read for all, regardless of race, color, or political background. I would recommend this book to everyone, not just only to people dealing or people having interest in the criminal justice. You need to read this book if you are human being. It is essential for all of us to be educated about the problems in our country today i.e. the prison system. The problems that were created by some of us to keep others down i.e. the meant to FAIL correction system. Dr. Reese did an exceptional job in explaining "how" and "why" these problems came into existence.
Dr. Reese did a fantastic job describing the many injustices in our prisons. Prison Race is a very powerful book. Prison Race makes a compelling case that the United States has an injustice system at work i.e. our multi-billion dollar prison industry, and that it operates within this supposedly free society, out of eye of its people. The brutalities, cruelties and inhumanity widely prevalent in the way people are put in prison, kept there, degraded and mistreated, as recounted in this book's accounts of racist bias, medical care, prison labor etc. This book not only explains how the prison system work but how it is a multi-billion dollar industry. Prison Race also contains a chapter written by an ex-convict describing the life behind bars. And after reading this chapter we would think that being jail is dangerous because you are surrounded by other dangerous criminal but in fact surrounded by fraudulent prison officials. Towards the end of the book, there is a collection poetry written by inmates throughout California's prison. Dr. Reese have established his book an exceptional resource for understanding the new political economy of criminal injustice that today undermines what America stand for. I highly recommend this book! I believe that this book is extremely well written, easy to read and keeps the interest of the reader. Above all I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys reading and wants to feel as though the author is having a personal conversation with the reader.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." I strongly believe that Dr. Reese did his part, in making this world a better place to live and now it is upon us to get educated and do our part. If you were not lucky enough to have had Dr. Reese speak to you in person, his words still carry strongly in this book. I am a better person today because of Dr. Reese and I am sure other people out there are better because of Dr. Reese. I hope that one day I can be like Dr. Reese and have a positive impact of the world. Thank you again, Dr. Reese for everything!

Thank you for this book. It was exactly what I was looking for. My husband and I will travel to Senegal and Ghana early 2008 and we will be touring those places associated with the slave trade. I am also researching our family trees and am looking forward to returning to the Motherland.
The part of the book that gives a snapshot of each country on the west coast of Africa, things to take with you and proper behavior in each country was helpful. We would not want to do anything to offend our African brothers and sisters.
Continue doing what you are doing.

Sincerely yours,
Hazhin

This book opened my eyes. I was brainwashed about Africa and did not know it. It was if the book was speaking directly to me. This is a great book easy to read but alot of information

Roots Recovered is not only a practical travel guide, but also a valuable guide for tracing African-American ancestry! The resources and references in this book are extensive and the writers have traveled to these places--making it a treasure trove of information. The traveler can trace one's roots to specific African tribes. The book contains bits of history and is informative, as well as educational and helps Blacks with the misrepresentations about Africa. As a bonus, the reader learns how to travel for free or on a budget. I especially enjoyed these sections: useful phrases, watch you back, women travelers, photography etiquette and places of interest (not your ordinary ones). This book is a must read for anyone planning to travel to Africa.

I really like this book. The resources and references are fantastic and the author proves that he knows what he is talking about. His experiences were exciting, genuwine and informative. In addition there are individual chapters on various West African countries and what you might expect during your visits, plus great information on embassy offices, cheap air seats and safety. A must have for the traveler.

This book is very different. It is a travel book yet it touches upon history and brainwashing of African Americans and how travel to Africa can change the brainwashing. I love Africa so this book did not directly concern me but people who have a bad image of Africa should buy this book. This book is not what I expected but it was a pleasant surprise. This book will make a Black person not be afraid to go to Africa to see it because it informs you of all the misrepresentions.

Hachette Book Group USA has put out another book that I fell in love with. (The first set of books from Hachette that caught my attention were those by Stephenie Meyer. I was thrilled to learn that Twilight is being made into a movie set to open on December 12, 2008!) This latest book, Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan, was a more difficult read, though a call to action that is timely and necessary. The book is a collection of 5 short stories by Akpan, a Jesuit priest originally from Nigeria who is now living and teaching in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Akpan's is certainly not the first set of stories to chronicle the trouble life of people across Africa. What is unique about the collection is that it is told entirely from the perspective of children. Because of their resiliency, children are able to see the light and dark, simultaneously, in many situations where adults see only one aspect or the other. Children are on a quest for joy, for resolution, and most certainly for peace. As Frank McCourt said in the trilogy of books about his own life, children keep moving forward because it's the only thing they know how to do. Akpan's characters embrace that philosophy and take us along with them for the journey.

To be sure, the circumstances are horrifying - tribal wars, destruction, rape, poverty, starvation. I sometimes had to put the book down because each page is so densely packed with raw emotion and brutally honest storytelling. There is no sugar-coating here. What kept me coming back and reading late into the night was Akpan's intensely visual story telling that has us bear witness to what's happening in countries all across Africa. We are unable to turn away as we make our way through the book and we feel compelled, even obligated, to do something, to say something, to change something. Through literature, he found his voice while also giving a voice to those who are unable to speak for themselves.

Say You're One of Them was recently reviewed in USA Today. And today, there is a front page article in USA Today on Americans who are finding purpose in Africa.

Fantastic collection of short stories about the horendous conditions in Africa. The author tells the stories so the readers know the characters deeply. Humility and humor, something not easy to portray among the horrible conditions, is evident in each story. All the stories are about children and how they handle life, and how they deal with not so nice situations. This book is a good read and I highly reccomend it

The cover photo of Uwem Akpan's brilliant collection of stories is of an African girl running down a dirt road, ostensibly from any number of the evils African children confront within the book's covers. Her dress looks remarkably like what an orphaned girl was wearing in a rural Kenyan village I visited several months ago, so perhaps the characters in these exceptional portraits are all the more real to me as a result. Whatever the reason, through his child's view narration of poverty, trafficking, genocide, and other horrors of modern Africa, the characters in these stories haunt me for days, especially the two Nigerian children in "Fattening for Gabon."

All of these stories have political and moral implications, but Akpan leaves those to the reader, focusing instead on the interaction of the characters with their circumstances. Read this book to understand, in some small part, the resilience of people throughout the African continent in the face of unspeakable tragedy and personal suffering. These are, quite simply, the most extraordinary stories I have ever read.

Stories of abused and battered children in Africa are legion, but few cut as close to the bone as this collection by Uwem Akpan. His five tales, two of which are novella length, are told with the uninhibited, truth-filled voices of the children involved. Each one takes place in a different country but the theme is universal: the biggest challenge faced by children in Africa is staying alive.

Akpan, a Jesuit priest with an MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan, piles on details available only to one intimately familiar with the lives described. Be forewarned: some of those details are gruesome to the point of causing distress, which I am sure was his intent. The imagery can range from the droll, like the description of the motorbike loaded with five people, various fruits and vegetables, a rooster and five rolls of toilet paper in "Fattening for Gabon," to the most horrific sight a child can see, a parental bloodbath, in "My Parents' Bedroom." This story ends the book and is the source of the title "Say you're one of them," the command given by a desperate Rwandan Tutsi mother to her Hutu-fathered child as machete-wielding killers approach.

Various dialects are used masterfully to both reveal characters and set scenes. The jargon, slang, and foreign phrases may be off-putting to some readers, but little meaning is lost when the dialogue is read in full context. Quite frankly, the only time many readers can bear to imagine events like those in the book is when they take place on foreign shores. We can be sickened and outraged by horrors on another continent; the same happenings across the street from where we live would paralyze us with fright. Fortunately, Akpan's familiarity with African poetry infuses much of the writing, giving the book a lyrical tone that keeps the more violent passages from slipping into slasher-movie territory.

As a person who has photographed and written about Africa extensively, I must confess I was not shocked by Akpan's stories. Unfortunately, tales like them are all too familiar to me. I was deeply moved by his dramatic intensity, however, and highly appreciative of his ability to put the reader inside the children's lives.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

This book consists of short stories that describe realistic scenarios of African lives the average American won't see watching network news. Akpan manages to creatively detail interpersonal dynamics with simple adjectives and each story ends so abruptly,leaving you imagining how the next passage would begin. Each story is narrated through the simple, honest eyes of a child and Akpan achieves this so brilliantly by removing judgement. Definite good read.

This was a great find & I highly recommend it if you like reading about hardships, addicition, real characters, poverty, and hope. Enjoy!

In Six Out Seven, Jess Mowry has crafted a deeply poignant, graphic and utterly gripping depiction of life as a black youth in America today. Gifted with a real sense for dialogue (you can almost hear the characters speak) and an amazing ability to capture the settings he describes - be it the steamy deep south or the numbing squalor of the ghetto. His characters are real and human, and the reader cannot help but be caught up in their struggle for survival.

Six Out Seven is a spectacular, powerful and emotive piece of literature, that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

First off, I want to say that this is an excellent book. The beginning of the book was very slow, but once you merged into the nover further, the better the book got, and the harder the book was to put down. Its a basic black coming of age novel about a 13 yr old who leaves Mississppi and travels because of circumstances to Oakland, California. Ive reccommended the book to all my friends, and I suggest you do to. It uncovers alot of myths that float around about the black community that needs to be brought to light, and Mr. Mowry does just that![.] GO GET THE BOOK!...

I enjoyed the character development of the story, and how the people are not all as they seem, and don't all believe in "the game" but have to do it anyway. However, the plot is a little weak and the verbage that the characters use grows old after a while, even though it's true to life.

I find it hard to believe that people, kids, live like they are portrayed in this book. I appreciated the descriptive nature of the book and it gave me a phenomenal view into a troubled lifestyle but in a humanizing and sad way. It's a good book, just a little slow in the beginning and, in parts, not very well written.

I am writing from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. I finished reading this book last night (May 4, 2000) and, like Corbitt, had a real dream about it! Few books have been written about the incredible courage and strength of children living in the worst of times and the baddest of places. This is one of the best! And I agree with Corbitt - we (young Africans and African-Americans) have our destinies in our own hands.

One of the best fast moving story that I have had the pleasure of reading. From the first page to the last it was hard to put this book down. I would love to see it made into a movie. I highly recommend this book.

"Snake Walkers is a fascinating read that revisits a horrific time in history where the lives of African Americans were tragically taken by those who wanted to suppress them."

"This gripping story begins with Anthony Andrews as a young boy witnessing the heinous hanging of a young boy. A murder that he relives in his nightmares, yet he keeps it a secret. This traumatic event plays a direct part in the path his life takes."

"Years later, Anthony becomes the first African American reporter at the Arkansas Sun. He is given an assignment to investigate the mysterious disappearance of several men in the town of Evesville."

"During the assignment Anthony becomes very close to one of the families linked to the men who disappeared. The closeness he feels towards this family is no coincidence as they share something in common that will bond them together forever."

"As Anthony comes close to finding answers his life is threatened and he comes to the realization that he is being used by those who have a hidden agenda. He is forced to make some difficult decisions in order to protect his life and the lives of those he loves."

"J. Everett Prewitt has created a captivating read that becomes more and more transfixing as this story unfolds. This talented author does an outstanding job with his first release."

Although this book may be a little slow to start, keep reading. Once it grabs you, you'll be glad you stayed. First-time author, J. Everett Prewitt, makes his strong debut with a novel of racial atrocities and civil unjustice. To do this, he introduces Anthony Andrews, a black child, who witnesses a hanging. This incident haunts Anthony and guides him to become a reporter. When Anthony accepts a position a the Arkansas Sun, he believes it is because of his talents and not because he is black.

Investigating the first big assignment he is given takes Anthony to a small town abandoned by its occupants and onto Cleveland, Ohio. Over time, and with the help of the strong characters created by M. Prewitt, Anthony comes to realize how naïve he has been all of his life. There are two points of view and he needs to choose which one is his for himself. When his father confronts him, "So, you go up North, listen the ramblings of some man with a blue-collar job and no education, then come back down here to enlighten me?...I taught you to think for yourself." Anthony replies, "No, Dad. You taught me to think like you."

"Snake Walkers" takes historical facts and characters and interlaces them with fictional ones. Read the book and decide for yourself. As Harriet Tubman is attributed with saying, "I would have freed a thousand more if they knew they were slaves." J. Everett Prewitt is certainly an author to look for. I'm sure he has many more stories to bring to us.

J. Everett Prewitt is a natural story teller. I was drawn right into the story. He captured my attention from the first paragraph. The plot carries with it all the elements of conflict, romance, and intrigue.

The action is heightened by a masterful pacing of conflict and resolution. Throughout the story Prewitt maintains suspense. The story unfolds a haunting theme of mystery.

His descriptive phrases and imagery activate all five senses. I smelled the flowers, heard the twigs crackling, and felt the explosion of a gun blasting nearby. Although often graphic, Prewitt was sensitive as he described the racial tensions of the 1960s and atrocities that often went unacknowledged and unreported.

I was deeply moved by the underlying current of family loyalty, secrecy and tension. The novel gave the author a platform to enlighten in the reader a moral and social responsibility. I was deeply touched and was often struck by an emotional chord as I recognized the impact of environment and family heritage on my own growth and value formation.

The author's sensitive writing and insightful character development creates an empathy for his all his characters, the heroes and the downtrodden. Each was faced with choices based on ritual and tradition that might have an effect on the life and safety of others.

I highly recommend this book anyone consciously trying to bridge the social injustices of the past with the hope of the future. This is a brilliant, penetrating novel.

Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (3/06)

When first approaching "Snake Walkers" I wasn't so sure it was going to be my 'cup of tea'. It seemed to be another one of those stories set back in the days of racial conflict, one we've all heard before... but I quickly realized I have never seen this side of the race wars. Set in the late 1940's through the 1960's the story begins with a young black boy (Anthony) seeing another boy being hung and beaten by a group of 14 white men. Scared to the depths of his soul he holds this vision deep within for decades, allowing it to eat at him until he's finally forced to confront the issues of what he saw.

Anthony vows to make right the wrongs he has seen, if even by making a small difference in the world of blacks but his ways of 'making a difference' seems to differ a lot from what many others are doing during this time of conflict. His father brings him up to believe that the colored folk are in the predicament they're in because of their own ignorance and violence. Anthony follows in his father's way of thinking and feels that he can make a difference by being the best he can be and not making those he's fighting against angry with such 'stupid' actions as marches and out right confrontation. He chooses to ignore the violence involved with often innocent black men and women or at the least, put it in the back of his mind.

Then Anthony lands a job as 'the first negro to write for the Sun'. This position makes him feel as thought this is his chance to make the difference he's always wanted to make. He finds himself working on a story, which soon becomes a much deeper and darker story than he ever thought. Then to complicate matters even more, he seeks some answers from a beautiful, intelligent professor that he instantly has feelings for, but doesn't want to allow those feelings overtake his ability to write a good story. As he uncovers more and more information it becomes less and less clear who is 'on his side' now and he finds danger in every corner.

During his quest, he also finds that perhaps his father's ways aren't the right ways. He finds that family isn't always as cut and dry as he thought, and begins to understand the true meaning of family ties and bonds.

While the beginning of the book was a little slow, a little perseverance will put you deep within the soul of a touching, thrilling story like no other. You've never seen the times of racial wars like this before, I can assure you. It's a wonderful book that will open your eyes to many things, including what true love and family means.