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title author rating (from 10) description month finished year finished narrator

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Beasts of No NationUzodinma Iweala10(Fiction) Based on dozens of true accounts, this novel takes inside the life of a child soldier in West Africa. Brutally disturbing and not for the faint of heart, but feels real and important.122006

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Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela (1994)Nelson Mandela10(Autobiography) Since Mandela was so integral to South Africa’s freedom struggle, this is a story of that struggle as much as it is a story of his life. This is a fascinating account of an amazing struggle. Mandela effectively captures the paradoxes of leadership: means versus ends, ideology versus tactics. Mandela is a remarkable man, not because he is flawless (for he shows that he is not), but because he was not afraid to fight with all his might for something he believed in.12005Morgan Duncan

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We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families (1998)Philip Gourevitch9.5(Non-fiction) Tells the story of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the build-up and the aftermath. Excellent! Gourevitch uses lots of survivor interviews and other first-hand sources to tell a powerful, moving, and disturbing story.42004

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Don’t Let’s Go To the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood (2001)Alexandra Fuller9(Memoir) Author recounts her life growing up in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). This is a great book: it’s partly about Africa, but it’s mostly about a family: an engaging, insightful account of this family, full of humor and tragedy and adventure.72004Lisette Lecat

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Half of a Yellow SunChimamanda Ngozi Adichie9Adichie follows the lives of two adult sisters during the Biafran war (Nigeria's civil war in the 1960s). Well-developed characters; gives a real spirit of the times. War is terrible.62007

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The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About ItPaul Collier9Collier draws on three decades of research to write a non-technical, nuanced treatise on the reason that the poorest countries are poor and the array of policies (not just aid) that could help. Very worthwhile.72007

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What Is the WhatDave Eggers9(Fiction) Novelization of the story of one of the lost boys of Sudan, told to the author over several years. Powerful, informative, engaging, moving.92007Dion Graham

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King Leopold’s Ghost (1998)Adam Hochschild8.5(History) The story of King Leopold II (of Belgium) obtaining the Congo a colony and others’ fight for human rights therein. Very well researched and well written. An important point is that – for the most part – this book is about Europeans, not Africans. It’s still good; the Europeans were clearly key players.42004Geoffrey Howard

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A Man of the People: A Novel of Political Unrest in a New Nation (1966)Chinua Achebe8(Fiction) Nigerian novel about a young man who learns about corrupt Nigerian politics firsthand. An accurate and enjoyable portrait of, as I understand it, politics in many African nations. The protagonist is sympathetic, the plot is compelling, and the action is engaging. Good book.92004

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Blue Clay People: Seasons on Africa's Fragile EdgeWilliam Powers8(Memoir) Young aid worker recounts his attempt to reconcile poverty alleviation and environmental conservation in Liberia in '99-'00. Honest and thoughtful.102005

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Heart of Darkness (1990 – 1st published 1902)Joseph Conrad8(Fiction) Marlow narrates his journey up the Congo River to meet an enigmatic, disappeared trader named Kurtz. Beautiful language. Historically quite accurate, as Adam Hochschild points out in King Leopold’s Ghost. Gives insight into people’s deep and shallow passions.32004

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Petals of BloodNgugi wa Thiong'o8Very good Kenyan novel (1978) about poor Kenyans' disillusion with post-colonial inequality of economic opportunity. Thiong'o landed in a heap of hot water for this one; it's very worthwhile. Takes a while to get to the point.52007

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So Long a Letter (African Writers Series)Mariama Ba (translated from the French by Modupé Bodé-Thomas)8(Fiction, Senegal) A woman narrates the hardships experienced by women in a polygamous society. Required reading in Sierra Leone’s schools (and at least used to be in Gambian schools).102007

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The Economist’s Tale: A Consultant Encounters Hunger and the World Bank (2003)Peter Griffiths8(Non-fiction) Consultant tells of his time working on food policy in Sierra Leone in 1986, when the World Bank imposed an agreement that could cause a famine. Captivating. Very insightful as to ex-pat life and working in developing country governments. The author has some axes to grind, though, and some of the dialogue isn’t greatly written. But overall, a very worthy read!82004

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The End of Poverty: How We Can Make It Happen in Our LifetimeJeffrey Sachs8(Non-fiction) Part economic history, part memoir, part plan to end poverty. Much to offer (even if you don't believe the plan).12006

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The Poisonwood Bible (1998)Barbara Kingsolver8(Fiction) Missionary family goes to Congo and each character is affected. Insightful story. It wasn’t perfect, and I felt like the penultimate 50 pages were gratuitous, but the last 50 recaptured me. Real page turner, and it was intriguing how the Congolese culture affected each character so distinctly.122003

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The River Between (1965)Ngugi wa Thiong’o8(Fiction) Kenyan novel, set in the Kikuyu tribe’s area of Kenya, a young man struggles between opposing factions, one embracing the old ways of the hills and one embracing the white man. The narrative style is different from that of Western writing which made it sometimes more difficult to read. But it was very insightful of Kikuyu culture, very insightful into the struggles within non-Western people faced by the intrusion of Western culture. And quite compelling.122003

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Tropical Gangsters (1990)Robert Klitgaard8(Memoir) Account of author’s work as leader of a World Bank project in Equatorial Guinea in 1987. Klitgaard provides a nice mix of stories about day-to-day life anecdotes and how the World Bank interacts with ministers of government. He’s also a very “groovy” guy, jamming on the guitar with local pop stars and continually searching for good waves.12005

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Striving for the Wind (1990)Meja Mwangi7.5(Fiction) Kenyan novel about family and community dynamics in a post-independence rural village. My favorite African novel so far. It had a very broad range of the attitudes one finds in Kenya: the educated but disillusioned young man, the wealthy man who thinks his money will buy anything, and much more. Well done.52004

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The InterpretersWole Soyinka7.5(Fiction) Nigerian novel: young Nigerian intellectuals trying to make their way in an oppressive and suffocating society. Frustrating, confusing, odd. But I think it was good. There was a lot of emotion that I felt. The characters were complicated (good). 112003

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Cause CelebHelen Fielding7(Fiction) Before Bridget Jones's Diary, Fielding writes about a similar character, except that she works in a north African refugee camp and gets involved in celebrity charity work. Funny and deals with interesting issues in aid work.42007

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Children of AIDSEmma Guest7(Non-fiction) Anecdotal look at AIDS orphans around Africa. Lots of interesting, different looks at AIDS orphans, families caring for them, NGOs working with them, and street kids. As she admits, the book is “unashamedly anecdotal.” The conclusions at the end don’t seem to be based on the research preceding, per se, but I thought the book was insightful, and it would be more so to someone who hadn’t already read a load about AIDS orphans. 112003

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Do They Hear You When You Cry (1998) ABRIDGEDFauziya Kassindja and Layli Miller Bashir7(Memoir) Fauziya describes her experience fleeing female circumcision and marriage to a man with three wives in Togo, then her trials in various U.S. prisons as she sought political asylum. She has a powerful story that illustrates both something of Togo and the harsh realities of how the US treats asylum seekers. Also, the audio version, albeit abridged, has an intro spoken by Fauziya herself, so the listener gets to hear what she sounds like.22005Sheryl Lee Ralph

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I Didn't Do It for You: How the World Betrayed a Small African NationMichela Wrong7(History) A journalist's history of Eritrea. Readable, insightful, but sometimes a little too journalistic.22006

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Life and Times of Michael KJ.M. Coetzee7(Fiction) Dense & intense, Coetzee makes you feel the title character's solitude. Tough, but good.122005

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Millions Saved: Proven Successes in Global HealthRuth Levine et al.7(Non-fiction) This book provides a diverse set of 17 major public health successes. It reads like a textbook and could have used a little more editing, but it’s a great overview.62005

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Tears of the Giraffe (2000)Alexander McCall Smith7(Mystery) Botswana’s only lady detective strikes again in this, the sequel to The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. I think I enjoyed this more than the first. The descriptions of African interactions are enjoyable. The mysteries are interesting enough to make me want to see them resolved.112004Lisette Lecat

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The Africans (1987)David Lamb7(Politics/history) LA Times correspondent writes about modern history and future of the continent. Written during the Cold War, it’s sometimes heavy handedly pro-capitalist. (I’m pro-capitalist, but still…) Lots of great stories from modern African history. Good background.62004?

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The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists’ Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics (2001)William Easterly 7(Nonfiction) Goes through trends in economic development strategies and why each has failed. Offers some potential solutions. Very good intro to the modern history of economic development. But it goes on too long and I felt the empirical work was very sketchy: loads and loads of correlations and lots of assumed causality.22004

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The Full Cupboard of LifeAlexander McCall Smith7(Mystery?) Everyone's favorite Botswanan detective works through the least mysterious so far: just one case! Still, her family developments are relaxing and enjoyable. She LOVES Botswana and makes it hard to keep from loving it too.82007Lisette Lecat

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The Girl Who Married a Lion and Other Tales from AfricaAlexander McCall Smith7(Folk tales) This collection of folktales from Zimbabwe and Botswana is lots of fun. It would be good to read with children, but I found the stories of interest myself.62005?

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The Ladies' No. 1 Detective Agency (1998)Alexander McCall Smith7(Fiction/mystery) Precious Ramotswe solves mysteries and tries to better lives in Botswana. I didn’t feel like the book had enough momentum. But the descriptions of the people and land of Botswana were very interesting and insightful. The author taught law at the University of Botswana. 122003

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The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little GoodWilliam Easterly7Valuable critique of the Western aid establishmentwith some suggestions for improvement. Too long and sometimes shrill, but also incisive and witty.82006

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White Teeth (1989 – 1st published in 1953 as Lak Tar)Okot p’Bitek7(Fiction) Ugandan novel, originally written in Acholi language, about a boy who goes to the big city to seek money to marry and gets disillusioned. Very depressing. But the language was often poetic. Good book.92004

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The Black Man’s Burden: Africa and the Curse of the Nation-stateBasil Davidson6.5(Political non-fiction) Treatise on how the political systems imposed by colonial and ex-colonial governments have really hurt Africa, by someone who’s spent a career thinking about the continent. It seemed longer than it needed to be, but he did a good job of explaining precisely how the current woes of many African states directly stem from colonial influences (as opposed to vague anti-imperial rhetoric). 92003

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Things Fall Apart (1959)Chinua Achebe6.5(Fiction) Nigerian novel about life in an Ibo clan and the coming of the white influence. The main character was totally unsympathetic, and the book had no compelling plot. Yet the ending was excellent and the book gave insight into traditional Ibo life.42004Peter Francis James

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Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda SpeakJean Hatzfield6(Non-fiction) Hatzfield gives interviews with a series of Hutu farmers who killed in the Rwandan genocide. The men are guarded but their words yield some understanding.102005

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Morality for Beautiful GirlsAlexander McCall Smith6(Fiction) Third in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Generally enjoyable, a pleasant, different kind of mystery. Sometimes dissatisfying; nothing amazing.112006Lisette Lecat

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Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier (2004)Alexandra Fuller6(Memoir) Fuller travels through Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique with a white former soldier for Rhodesia. They meet and hear the stories of various other soldiers. Difficult to hear. The ratio of “descriptions of Africa” (which Fuller does very well) to war stories is too high. But it definitely shows how war destroys people and how it changes people. It also gives a flavor for just how terrible some of the things people do in war are. Read this before joining the army.102004Lisette Lecat

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The Kalahari Typing School for MenAlexander McCall Smith6Book 4 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (in Botswana). Not much detective work in this one, mostly development in the lives of the main characters. Pleasant but not special. Lecat is always a pleasure to listen to.62007Lisette Lecat

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The Mission SongJohn le Carre6Top interpreter of African languages comes upon info about nefarious plans for the Congo. Sometimes interesting, but not great prose and sometimes boring.12007David Oyelowo

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The Trouble with AfricaRobert Calderisi6Former World Bank spokesperson for Africa speaks from his experience. Some good ideas and fascinating stories mixed with not very good prose and some poor analysis. Still, interesting to get the Bank viewpoint on a number of issues.22007

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Carcase for HoundsMeja Mwangi5.5(Historical or period fiction) Kenyan novel, describes a fictional band during the Mau Mau rebellion a major precursor to Kenyan independence. Very slow. Spent lots of time on the mindset of the Freedom Fighters. Very insightful into the frustration and despair of these revolutionaries. 122003

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Moses, Citizen and MeDelia Jarrett MacAuley5Novel about former child soldiers in Sierra Leone.Lots of dream sequences, I didn't really get into it, but it occasionally effectively portrayed this harrowing situation.52006

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The DarlingRussell Banks5(Fiction) American leftist revolutionary gets tied up in Liberian civil war. And she loves orangutans. Interesting and even gripping in parts, but uneven.82007Mary Beth Hurt

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Conflict and Growth in Africa. Vol 2: Kenya, Tanzania and UgandaJeni Klugman, Bilin Neyapti, & Frances Steward (OECD Development Centre)4(Historical / political / economic non-fiction) Brief politico-economic history of Tanzania, Uganda, & Kenya. Tries to discern link between ec performance & political conflict.Poor economy seems to follow instability more than vice-versa. Yet, people also revolt when they have less to lose. Not well written. Largely a summary of statistical results. But nice, brief political history of each country. 32003

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Lords of Poverty: The freewheeling lifestyles, power, prestige and corruption of the multibillion dollar aid business (1989)Graham Hancock4(Non-fiction) Hancock shows all that is wrong with the aid industry, including multilaterals from the World Bank to UNICEF and bilaterals including USAID and its Canadian and British counterparts. He makes some very good points, but his rhetoric is over the top, his arguments are a bit schizophrenic, and his only proposed solution is to eliminate the entire aid industry. The book is long on anecdotes and short on analysis. But there are enough anecdotes to make us think that the aid industry definitely has its problems.*42005

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Out of Africa (1937)Isak Dinesen (pseudonym for Karen Blixen)4(Autobiography) Blixen recounts her time running a coffee farm in Kenya. Some of the language was beautiful, but it was hard for me to get past the dated, racist views of indigenous Kenyans. And I didn’t learn enough about the author herself and where she had come from, making it less interesting, somehow.52004Wanda McCaddon

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Going Down River Road (1976)Meja Mwangi-99(Fiction) Kenyan novel about this guy who lives in one of Nairobi’s seediest areas and his life there. I think it was really well done, and it rings true with the limited experience I have with this area of Kenya. But I wasn’t up to another hundred pages of wandering in a drunken haze from bar to bar and from harlot to harlot.Put down2005