12th Book: What Is Africa to Me?: Fragments of a True-to-Life Autobiography by Maryse Condé
Maryse Condé is one of the best-known and most beloved French Caribbean literary voices. The author of more than twenty novels, she was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize in 2015 and has long been recognized as a giant of Black feminist literature. While Condé has previously published an autobiography of her childhood, What Is Africa to Me? tells for the first time the story of her early adult years in Africa—years formative not only for her, but also for African colonies appealing for their own independence.
What Is Africa to Me? traces the late 1950s to 1968, chronicling Condé’s life in Sékou Touré’s Guinea to her time in Kwame N’Krumah’s Ghana, where she rubbed shoulders with Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Julius Nyerere, and Maya Angelou. Accusations of subversive activity resulted in Condé’s deportation from Ghana. Settling down in Sénégal, Condé ended her African years with close friends in Dakar, including filmmakers, activists, and Haitian exiles, before putting down more permanent roots in Paris.
Condé’s story is more than one of political upheaval, however; it is also the story of a mother raising four children as she battles steep obstacles, of a Guadeloupean seeking her identity in Africa, and of a young woman searching for her freedom and vocation as a writer. What Is Africa to Me? is a searing portrait of a literary genius—it should not be missed.
[Abstract]
WEEK ONE SUMMARY: PART I
PROMPT:
Based on what you have read, how do you find the author? What do you think of her personality and motivations?
DISCUSSION SUMMARY:
Discussion:
Some members noted that she has experienced a lot of challenges in her life and the way she handled them shows her resilience. It is also clear that that she takes the truth very seriously and she is unapologetic. We see with some autobiographies that perhaps they are not as raw and honest as her because she lays everything out very honestly.
One member noted that her dedication to the truth is admirable.
Some members noted that she is a risk taker that she does not over analyze her decisions, she takes action and deals with the outcome.
Many members noted that she is intelligent and courageous and determined and strong.
One member noted that there was something in her that knew she did not like how her family behaved and wanted to revolt against it or be different from them and some of her decisions that were not the best may have come from her trying to figure this out for herself but she did not execute it so successfully or smoothly.
One member noted that the author seems continuously lost and never grounded. It seems like she has these grand intentions for her life and exploring Africa yet it seems like she continues to stumble from one phase of her life into the next and missing out on some of the momentous moments of history because of the turmoil in her life.
One member noted that she is very frank and does not appear to fear the opinion of others.
Some members noted moments of recklessness in how she would leave her children with caregivers for long periods of time, as well as the lack of clarity around paternity for some of her kids. Some members noted that her behaviour also indicates some issues with impulse control.
WEEK TWO SUMMARY: Majority of Part II
PROMPT:
Prompt 1: What is your perspective on how the author handles traumas and challenges?
Prompt 2: What was most interesting to you with this week’s reading?
Prompt 3: Anything else to add?
DISCUSSION SUMMARY:
Prompt One:
One member noted that she seems to take them and bury them in herself. She acknowledges they happened but she does not work on the healing she needs and she does not try to prevent the same bad things from recurring rather she just moves onto the next thing and continues to go from one horrible situation to the next. And her mental health does not seem right either which is reflected in the decisions she makes and the choices she makes as a mother and how she behaves as a mother to her children.
Some members noted that the author herself is complex and challenging. She seems to get through whatever challenge and trauma she encounters but she does not handle it well. So even though she survived it, she doesn’t handle it. Yet at the same time she is a very strong person and determined. It seems she is able to get through things no matter what.
Some members noted that her whole life seems chaotic and she does not actually appear to make clear decisions but just goes along with one disaster to the next. Overall, she handles these challenges poorly but perhaps that was her best.
Prompt Two:
One member noted that they disagreed with the author and were surprised that she was not impressed by Nkrumah’s political speeches and rather she did not consider his speeches astute or impressive. She is very blunt about her perspective of Nkrumah and the college he started and states the issues and criticisms. And the fact the people she was closest to were anti-Nkrumah.
One member liked her opinion of the Ghanaian government at that time and her criticisms about african leadership.
Some members noted that when her husband came to Ghana and for her to let the boyfriend stay and the husband all be in under the same roof and how chaotic that must have been for her children.
Prompt Three:
Her autobiography explains why some of her stories are so traumatic and show black men at their worst and black relationships and families and communities at their worst.
Also some members noted that perhaps her autobiography does not actually seem like a true blunt retelling because when it comes to her children it does not seem like the whole story was truly told or perhaps because she was absent and distracted she was not aware of everything going on with her children.
WEEK THREE SUMMARY: Through the end of the book
PROMPT:
What did you think of the book overall? What did you think of the author’s life overall?
DISCUSSION SUMMARY:
One member noted that usually with stories like this, you get to a point where the person finally turns their life around and makes better decisions but that never happens. She continues to prioritize men over her children. She continues to use distractions over actually changing her life. It felt like reading the same mistake over and over and over and over even to the last page.
Many members noted that the book was not very pleasing in terms of her life and her approach to motherhood.
Some members noted that part of the title (What is Africa to me) does not really go with the book because all of what she had to talk about was really more about her relationships and she did not really spend time getting to know Africa, the politics, the landscape, and more. Most of her time was spent from going from trauma to the next and constantly uprooting her and her children’s lives because of the dysfunction. So the part of the title “What is Africa to me” seems misleading but if she means it solely from her romantic relationships and trauma that she experienced there then that is her right to use it in that way.
One member noted that another thing is she never had a home, a true place to call home, neither for her or her children.