Author: Peggielene Bartels Publisher: National Geographic Books ISBN: 0307742814 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
The charming real-life fairy tale of an American secretary who discovers she has been chosen king of an impoverished fishing village on the west coast of Africa. King Peggy chronicles the astonishing journey of American secretary, Peggielene Bartels, who suddenly finds herself king to a town of 7,000 people on Ghana's central coast, half a world away. Upon arriving for her crowning ceremony in beautiful Otuam, she discovers the dire reality: there's no running water, no doctor, no high school, and many of the village elders are stealing the town's funds. To make matters worse, her uncle (the late king) sits in a morgue awaiting a proper funeral in the royal palace, which is in ruins. Peggy's first two years as king of Otuam unfold in a way that is stranger than fiction. In the end, a deeply traditional African town is uplifted by the ambitions of its decidedly modern female king, and Peggy is herself transformed, from an ordinary secretary to the heart and hope of her community.
Author: Taiye Selasi Publisher: Penguin UK ISBN: 0670919896 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 336
Book Description
A stunning novel, spanning generations and continents, Ghana Must Go by rising star Taiye Selasi is a tale of family drama and forgiveness, for fans of Zadie Smith and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This is the story of a family -- of the simple, devastating ways in which families tear themselves apart, and of the incredible lengths to which a family will go to put itself back together. It is the story of one family, the Sais, whose good life crumbles in an evening; a Ghanaian father, Kweku Sai, who becomes a highly respected surgeon in the US only to be disillusioned by a grotesque injustice; his Nigerian wife, Fola, the beautiful homemaker abandoned in his wake; their eldest son, Olu, determined to reconstruct the life his father should have had; their twins, seductive Taiwo and acclaimed artist Kehinde, both brilliant but scarred and flailing; their youngest, Sadie, jealously in love with her celebrity best friend. All of them sent reeling on their disparate paths into the world. Until, one day, tragedy spins the Sais in a new direction. This is the story of a family: torn apart by lies, reunited by grief. A family absolved, ultimately, by that bitter but most tenuous bond: familial love. Ghana Must Go interweaves the stories of the Sais in a rich and moving drama of separation and reunion, spanning generations and cultures from West Africa to New England, London, New York and back again. It is a debut novel of blazing originality and startling power by a writer of extraordinary gifts. 'Ghana Must Go is both a fast moving story of one family's fortunes and an ecstatic exploration of the inner lives of its members. With her perfectly-pitched prose and flawless technique, Selasi does more than merely renew our sense of the African novel: she renews our sense of the novel, period. An astonishing debut' Teju Cole, author of Open City Taiye Selasi was born in London and raised in Massachusetts. She holds a B.A. in American Studies from Yale and an M.Phil. in International Relations from Oxford. "The Sex Lives of African Girls" (Granta, 2011), Selasi's fiction debut, appears in Best American Short Stories 2012. She lives in Rome.
Author: Ama Ata Aidoo Publisher: Heinemann ISBN: 9780435910136 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 164
Book Description
In this collection of short stories, Aidoo elevates the mundane in women's lives to an intellectual level in an attempt at challenging patriarchal structures and dominance in African society.
Author: Shiyan Chao Publisher: World Bank Publications ISBN: 9780821345306 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 94
Book Description
"Ghana is an extremely diverse country-ethnically, culturally, ecologically, and economically. Women and men play different roles, undertake different activities, and face different constraints. Gender-based differences in their activities and practices result from... existing gender inequalities. Because these gender differences are often fundamental to men and women's livelihoods, understanding them is essential to designing policies and projects that will effectively reduce gender inequalities and promote sustainable development." A growing body of literature indicates that reducing gender inequalities and increasing women's access to productive resources greatly improves both welfare and economic productivity. Despite recent gains in some areas, significant gender inequalities continue to limit women's capabilities and constrain their ability to participate in and contribute to Ghana's economy. This report examines key gender inequalities and gender-based differences in economic activities, opportunities, and constraints, focusing on two broad areas: the links between gender, economic productivity and poverty, and the development of human capital. It is the result of the World Bank's recognition of the need to understand gender issues in order to develop strategies to deal with them and support the government's program to develop a gender strategy. In addition, it is intended to further the dialogue between the Bank, the government, other donors, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on how to reduce or eliminate gender-specific constraints on economic development in Ghana.
Author: Baffour K. Takyi Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA ISBN: 031308906X Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 319
Book Description
The institution of family has been central to the well-being of African societies over the years. African families have undergone significant transformation caused by the interplay of indigenous, Arabic/Islamic, and European/Christian cultures. The juxtaposition of these three cultures in the lives of African peoples captures the triple-heritage image of the continent. At the same time, modernization, urbanization, and migration have played and continue to play significant roles in the transformation of families across the continent. While it is true that the traditional family has changed in many ways and that African families are continuously confronted with new challenges, the renowned contributors to this volume recognize that the African family continues to adapt to emerging structural changes. In the new millennium, a host of issues and challenges has emerged, each with the potential to weaken or threaten the survival of the traditional African family. These include the HIV/AIDS pandemic; a growing elderly population; declining governmental support; and economic decay. How the post-colonial family reacts to these threats and challenges has the potential to either maintain or undermine the family's role as a major organizing principle in Africa. The institution of family has been central to the well-being of African societies over the years. African families have undergone significant transformations caused by the interplay of indigenous, Arabic/Islamic, and European/Christian cultures. The juxtaposition of these three cultures in the lives of African peoples captures the triple-heritage image of the continent. At the same time, modernization, urbanization, and migration have played and continue to play a role in the transformation of families across the continent. While it is true that the traditional family has changed in many ways and that African families are continuously confronted with new challenges, the contributors to this volume recognize that the African family has adapted to the emerging structural changes. In the new millennium, a host of issues and challenges have the potential to weaken or threaten the survival of the traditional African family. These include the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which seems to afflict the young and able-bodied; a growing elderly population; declining governmental support; and economic decay. How the post-colonial family reacts to these threats and challenges has the potential to either maintain or undermine the family's role as a major organizing principle in Africa. Profound transitions have occurred in family structure and processes since the post-colonial period. This work points to some of the documented transformations in African family life, including the changing modes of decision-making due to the establishment of a cash crop economy, nuptial patterns, changing maternal roles, an increasing age at marriage and declining fertility, a growing number of households headed by women, an increase in the rate of marital instability and dissolution, and changing patterns of mate selection and family relations.
Author: Eilon Paz Publisher: Ten Speed Press ISBN: 1607748703 Category : Music Languages : en Pages : 577
Book Description
A photographic look into the world of vinyl record collectors—including Questlove—in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms. Compelling photographic essays from photographer Eilon Paz are paired with in-depth and insightful interviews to illustrate what motivates these collectors to keep digging for more records. The reader gets an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions, including Gilles Peterson and King Britt, as well as a glimpse into the collections of known and unknown DJs, producers, record dealers, and everyday enthusiasts. Driven by his love for vinyl records, Paz takes us on a five-year journey unearthing the very soul of the vinyl community.
Author: Anna Cottrell Publisher: African Books Collective ISBN: 9964701535 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 98
Book Description
Recorded on location in the Volta Region in Ghana in 2006-07, these stories are the result of collaboration between Anna Cottrell and Agbotadua Togbi Kumassah. Agbotadua Togbi Kumassah translated the Ewe stories into English and Anna Cottrell has retold them in contemporary English for the wider European market. This edition presents the 24 stories in their original form for the Ghanian market.
Author: Vivian Kinnaird Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1134904029 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 341
Book Description
Different Places, Different Voices challenges Western feminist and post-colonial approaches in its analysis of the changing lives of women of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. Recognising the significance of place, this is a book informed by the voices of female geographers from the developing world. Twenty case studies present regional perspectives on urban and rural development, household reproduction and production and community organisation. The theoretical and contextual approach and the emphasis on location and positionality highlight the differences created by place to suggest other ways of seeing.
Author: Jette Bukh
Author: Jette Bukh
Author: Peggielene Bartels
Author: Taiye Selasi
Author: Ama Ata Aidoo
Author: Shiyan Chao
Author: Baffour K. Takyi
Author: Eilon Paz
Author: Anna Cottrell
Author: Vivian Kinnaird