Sometimes you find a book which in its raw honesty and eloquent simplicity has a far greater impact on you than you bargain for. Anastasia, in her own inimitable style tells the true story of the first ten years or so of her life growing up - she almost didn’t many times - in Africa, in Cameroon. From the collapse of a parents marriage on day one, to shipwreck, poverty, family feuds, destitution, evil spirits, Councils of Elders, revenge, retribution and salvation. All of this in a dramatic way.
Father’s love turns to rejection and ruin. A mother’s love turns to indifference. Whispers spreading evil. A grandmothers protection, love and years of toil turns to a gamble with the children as the bargaining chips. A failed family coup using ancient traditions. A sister’s love turns to toxic jealousy. Spirits striking several times causing deadly disease, ancestral interventions and miracle cures. And at the end, acceptance and love returns. When both women and men read the Council of Elders comparison of women to goats it will stop both groups in their tracks in disbelief and cause furious debate.
Author Anastasia has done something special, yes it’s her first book, but she has the rare voice of an eloquent child survivor. She has literally and metaphorically sweated blood to give birth to this book. How many authors can say that? She has written a real history book which inadvertently deals with major modern issues. The book - one - is about: Africa; Ancestry; True history; Culture; Family; Human Rights; Children's Rights; Women’s Rights; Tribalism; Patriarchy; Poverty; Misogyny; Health Care; Disease; Cruelty; Spirituality; The Supernatural; Religion; Love; Struggle; Survival and Salvation.
With such an achievement we can forgive a few foibles and be generous in stars and in heart. It is her story, she wants to tell us her story, she succeeded publishing a book. Africa and the world should pay attention. .
And there is a volume two, which I shall be reading soon.
https://us.amazon.com/dp/B0HDQYD2T2?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_aw...
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David, I am completely speechless and moved to tears by your words. To see someone understand the deep heart, the pain, and the raw truth behind The Girl From The Sunken Ship with such clarity means more to me than words can ever express. Thank you for stepping in not just as an extraordinary collaborator adapting this story for the screen, but as a true champion of my journey. Africa and the world are paying attention indeed.