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“Meticulous and context-sensitive editorial work. . . . One of the first anthologies of Francophone African short stories in translation, and the very first to focus on writers who lived abroad.”—Jeanne-Sarah de Larquier, Women in French Studies
— Jeanne-Sarah de Larquier
"These stories ultimately cover a much broader literary terrain than just Africa, and tap universal themes in refreshing ways. . . . This is a challenging and innovative selection, and public libraries would do well to consider it."
—Booklist (starred review)
"Inspired by and building on the rich anthologies of African short fiction like those edited by Chinua Achebe, Leila Sebbar, and Michel Le Bris, Adele King has brought to us a collection of passion, courage, and talent. . . . Like much of the rich and complex literature that comes to us from African authors, King''s anthology is powerful, graphic, and innovative. The stories of these engaged authors, whose personal and professional lives are inseparable from their work, project humanity and, with it, new meaning, onto the historical mirror."
—Lee Whitfield, H-Net Reviews
“Meticulous and context-sensitive editorial work. . . . One of the first anthologies of Francophone African short stories in translation, and the very first to focus on writers who lived abroad.”
—Jeanne-Sarah de Larquier, Women in French Studies
“It is a valiant move of King’s to have assembled her cluster of talents in the pithy, vulnerable short fiction form—and behold, the splintered, rootless diasporic experience is indeed depicted especially fittingly in these brief prose pieces.”
“King’s collection of recent, competently translated short stories from Francophone Africa in From Africa confirms the plethora of new African talents.”
—Chantal Zabus, World Literature
"Inspired by and building on the rich anthologies of African short fiction like those edited by Chinua Achebe, Leila Sebbar, and Michel Le Bris, Adele King has brought to us a collection of passion, courage, and talent. . . . Like much of the rich and complex literature that comes to us from African authors, King's anthology is powerful, graphic, and innovative. The stories of these engaged authors, whose personal and professional lives are inseparable from their work, project humanity and, with it, new meaning, onto the historical mirror."—Lee Whitfield, H-Net Reviews
— Lee Whitfield
“King’s collection of recent, competently translated short stories from Francophone Africa in From Africa confirms the plethora of new African talents.”—Chantal Zabus, World Literature
— Chantal Zabus
| Introduction | ||
| Pt. 1 | New Myths | |
| A Woman and a Half | 3 | |
| The Legend of Abla Pokou, Queen of the Baoule People | 8 | |
| Pt. 2 | Nostalgia for Childhood | |
| A Fistful of Groundnuts | 19 | |
| My Father's Lamp | 29 | |
| Pt. 3 | Modern Perspectives | |
| The Spider's Fart | 37 | |
| Babyface | 48 | |
| The Labors of Ariana | 70 | |
| Pt. 4 | Politics | |
| The Ballad of a Shipwreck | 85 | |
| Fahavalo | 93 | |
| Our Neighborhood Fool | 97 | |
| A Hunting Scene as Observed by a Sentimental Photographer | 105 | |
| Dead Girl Walking | 110 | |
| Pt. 5 | Outside Africa | |
| Bessombe: Between Homeland and Exile | 125 | |
| The Milka Cow | 130 | |
| Bibliographical Essay | 137 | |
| Contributors | 141 | |
| Translators | 145 | |
| Source Acknowledgments | 149 |
Overview