Under African skies

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Modern Africa's senior writers join a selection of promising new voices in this splendid sampler of short fiction from more than a dozen nations. Larson, a professor at American University, includes his own illuminating introduction and prefaces each story with a succinct author biography. Reflecting a variety of narrative styles and voices, many of the stories address similar themes: the effects of political turmoil on ordinary citizens; the mysterious presence of spirits; the importance of resilience and family. Some of the most moving stories concern tensions between native Africans and their European employers. These include "Black Girl," by Sembene Ousmane of Senegal, in which a maid's suicide comes as a surprise to her dangerously nave employers, and "Mrs. Plum," by Es'Kia Mphahele of South Africa, in which a liberal, well-meaning woman and her daughter have a complex and troubling relationship with the young African girl who works in their house. Other notable stories, particularly from postcolonial writers, concern events purely African. In "Two Sisters," Ghana's Ama Ata Aidoo explores the sexual compromises women must make for material possessions they see no other way to acquire. In Malawian Steven B. M. Chimombo's autobiographical "Another Writer Taken," an author gradually uncovers exaggerated but alarming rumors of his disappearance. Larson makes a convincing case for concern about the future of Africa's writers, and this valuable collection will no doubt serve two noble ends: to spread the underappreciated literature of a continent and to show the need for protected literary speech, in Africa and around the world. (Aug.)

Library Journal

Editor Larson continues his work on modern African literature (e.g., The Emergence of African Fiction, 1972) with this impressive collection of short stories from sub-Saharan Africa. Published between 1952 and 1996, some translated from French, Portuguese, and Arabic, these stories share a common outrage against Africa's decay, whether from oppressive colonialism and corruption or the repression of tradition and ignorance. These are not folk tales about great chiefs but heart-rending stories about ordinary peoplemaids, insurance salesmen, fathers, and motherstrying to make a life for their families, caught up in the political and spiritual struggle for Africa. Larson accompanies each story with a brief biographical sketch of the authors, many of whom have experienced exile, imprisonment, and execution because of their writing. An excellent introduction to African literature and an important complement to any African American collection. Highly recommended for all libraries.Ellen Flexman, Indianapolis-Marion Cty. P.L., Ind.

Kirkus Reviews

An overview of contemporary writing from Africa, drawing together 27 stories produced over the past three decades. Editor Larson offers a judicious mix of familiar figures (Amos Tutuola, Sembene Ousmane, Chinua Achebe, and Ben Okri) and less well known writers, among them Luís Bernardo Honwana ("Papa, Snake & I") from Mozambique, Vèronique Tadjo ("The Magician and the Girl") from the Ivory Coast, Tijan Sallah ("Innocent Terror") from Nigeria, and Mandla Langa ("A Gathering of Bald Men") from South Africa. A deeply moving (and prophetic) short story by activist Ken Saro-Wiwa ("Africa Kills Her Sun"), who was executed in 1995 by the Nigerian government, reminds us how deadly dangerous the pursuit of literature can be. Clear themes emerge here: the terrible struggle to preserve tradition, the conflicting pull of Western and African beliefs, the awful disruptions still visited on Africa by the West. These are expressed in a variety of forms, with stories ranging from straightforward realism to soaring blends of traditional storytelling and magic realism. Larson's biographical notes on the writers are terse and useful. A necessary volume for anyone seeking an introduction to modern African literature.