My African Anthology (available on Amazon) is a
compendium of anecdotes, articles and stories that mirror years of living and
working in Africa. Beginning in the
sixties with my first sojourn on the continent, the items both factual and fictional
paint a compelling portrait of the Africa I knew. From the Peace Corps Kenya era are snippets
of Luo tribal consternation regarding America’s moon landing, competing in the
Safari road rally, trouble with noisy bees, and a shape shifting terror. From Bokassa’s Central African Republic -
stories of a man lost in the forest, the president’s mistress, a search for
gold, plus an eye-witness account of the lavish coronation. A later return to
that beleaguered nation, recounts ambassadorial maneuvering to foster a fair
election.
A travelogue entry traces road trips across Africa – Kenya
to England in 1970 via the Congo and the Sahara – mud, broken ferries, pygmies,
breakdowns, suspicion of being mercenaries, the desert, Tuaregs, land mines,
etc. Then in 1991, Uganda to South Africa with family in tow through a changing
political landscape to the new South Africa.
Kenya returns with vignettes from Mombasa – employing a
witch doctor to cleanse a septic system, prostitutes protecting their turf, plus
a mystery about a missing trove of rubies. The scene shifts to Uganda in a novella
entitled The Shriveled Hands, which is a tale of witchcraft, trafficking
in girls, superstition about albinos and the impact of AIDS, plus a dash of
terrorism. Other stories in the collection
include Gacaca justice for genocidaires in Rwanda, escaping Ebola in Sierra
Leone, trouble in a refugee camp in Chad and a hunt for mythical beasts in the
jungles of the Congo.
Serious articles include the gift of a watermelon in
Djibouti, an analysis of AFRICOM, the U.S. military command for Africa, its
successes and failures, and an update of the situation in Rwanda, twenty-five
years after the genocide.
In sum, this anthology focuses on different facets of life
in Africa and pulls together a colorful portrait of a turbulent continent as
seen by an astute outside observer.
One reader said, “Now, I understand Africa better.” Another,
“I thought the trafficking story was great.” A third, “I’ve recommended Grogan’s
Trove to friends.”
Robert Gribbin has lived, worked and traveled in Africa
for the last sixty years. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, and later a
diplomat rising to be ambassador to the Central African Republic and to Rwanda.
Subsequently he served as chargé
d’affaires in six more nations. He is the author of a memoir In the
Aftermath of Genocide – The U.S. Role in Rwanda and five novels. He reviews
books about Africa on his blog www.rwandakenya.blogspot.com.
