Two Fascinating Books Explore Ugandan history and culture

[Guest Christopher Conte]

Hi. I'd like to recommend two books from Uganda for your consideration -- and for reviews if you find either or both worthy.

 

"Crossroads: Women Coming of Age in Today's Uganda" is a fascinating collection of 15 true, autobiographical essays in which modern African women explore how they are balancing the effects of traditional African culture with their own aspirations as modern women. The elegant-written stories cover a wide range of issues, but all are inspiring. 

 

"The Triangle" is a historical novel focusing on the time during the late 1880s when the land that would become modern day Uganda, is about to lose its independence to British colonialists. Written by one of the authors of Crossroads, it offers a fresh perspective on a pivotal moment in African history.

 

Flyers for both books are below.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

 

Christopher Conte

Crossroads Women and Culture in Uganda               African Women Tell Their Own Stories   All too often, Africa’s stories -- especially the stories of African women -- have been told by outsiders. But in Crossroads, a group of perceptive Ugandan women provide an unfiltered portrait of their own lives. In 15 deeply personal narratives that range from passionate to funny and from terrifying to tender, the women examine everything from religion to sports and from gender roles to the influence of western aid organizations. In telling their true life stories with bold honesty, the authors shed new light on Africa, the lives of African women, global feminism, culture change and modernization.         ”The collection is no-holds-barred: these women critique traditional culture, Western influence, the bureaucratic bloatedness of NGOs, religion, and gender roles, all with clarity and nuance. The result is a well-rounded, compelling and edifying picture of the challenges that women face in modern Africa.”   — Michelle Anne Schlinger,       Clarion Foreward Reviews         The stories were edited by Christopher Conte, a former Wall Street Journal editor and reporter who has traveled widely in Africa and lived for three-years in Uganda. Critics say the collection, a fascinating and elegant blend of traditional and thoroughly modern values, represents an important contribution to the literature on Africa and global feminism.   ”A strong collection of memoiristic writing that illuminates African womanhood...” – Kirkus Review   ”A riveting read” – Julia Royall, Fulbright scholar, and global health informatics expert   ”A cultural keepsake” – Mazzi Wampamba, Ugandan author of "Like an Ocean: Poems in Prose"   ”Perhaps the most insightful and enlightening non-fiction publication yet about the search for identity among women in Uganda” – Mark Schenkel, Het Financielle, The Netherlands         More information: www­.uganda-crossroads.net   Contact the editor: cconte615@gmail­.com (review copies available).   Buy a copy or read more reviews: Amazon.com   Details: Editor: Christopher Conte; Publisher: CreateSpace; Genres: Africa, Autobiography & Memoirs; Women's Studies; ISBN: 13 978-1-5076-8022-3; Publication Date: June 3, 2015; Binding: Softcover; Pages: 178; Price: $7.50; Also available as a Kindle e-book

 

 

 

 

“  It is a time of upheaval in the African nation of Buganda. Missionaries are rapidly converting people to Christianity, undermining the authority of their king and sewing discord among his people. Three characters - Nagawa, a young but unhappy bride to the king; Kalinda, a servant in the royal courts; and Reverend Clement, a Scottish priest - are swept up in forces that will change their lives and reshape the future of their nation. ”       While African history often has been told by Westerners rather than Africans themselves, Ugandan writer Nakisanze Segawa offers an African perspective. Her meticulously researched novel examines a critical moment in Ugandan history, and offers a surprising and fresh perspective on Africa in the days just before colonialism.           “  ...An epic story of palace intrigue, religious rivalry and conflict. Set against Uganda's overpoweringly beautiful landscape, The Triangle describes how divisions within one African kingdom helped set the stage for a foreign take-over.”       Christopher Conte, Editor of ”Crossroads: Women Coming of Age in Today's Uganda”               Nakisanze Segawa is a Ugandan writer and performance poet. She is a contributor to Global Press Journal and the Daily Monitor newspaper in Kampala. The Triangle is her first novel.             More information: nagawakalinda@gmail.com (review copies available)   Buy a paperback copy: Amazon.com [http://amzn.to/2wSpDvx]   Buy as an ebook: Smashwords [http://bit.ly/2ilDJ1W]   Details: Author and Publisher: Nakisanze Segawa; Genres: Africa, African History; African Fiction; Uganda; Ugandan History; Ugandan fiction; ISBN: 9789970958108; Publication Date: 2017, 2017; Binding: Softcover; Pages: 360; Price: $8.50; E-book price: $5.99