Asante Tales

[Guest Patrick Dua]

Asante Tales: This book is for the reading enjoyment of everybody. Human cultures all over the world have associated fables and tales with the bedtime interests of children and grandparents. Particularly in times past, when story-telling used to be the default form of entertainment for children, it was a highly valued tradition, given that it also functioned always as a supportive learning tool.

 

This little book - based on the narrative culture of the Asante in Ghana - fulfills all the above objectives – and much, much more.

 

The subjects it covers may appeal even more to you, if you are an adult animal lover, or just a lover of the written word; or someone with interests in any or all of these themes: social justice, a peaceful world, a vegetarian lifestyle, climate change, the refugee crisis, issues of honesty, human dignity, probity or sheer good manners.

 

All these strands are woven – rather unsuspectingly - within a delightfully sophisticated interlace whose narrative force promises to hold the cursory reader hostage.

 

It is true, some of the tales offer grim accounts of misfortune, hopelessness or devastation. Yet, such details register gradually to reduce the scale and intensity of the underlying crisis, once we begin to embrace the comic exuberance of Ananse the Spider, or the powerful didactic message that evolves soothingly at the end of the tale.

 

You are guaranteed to sit straight, and not be able to suspend your reading until you have perused the breathtaking details as they unfold from the beginning to the end.

 

Welcome to the venue where the human and animal worlds meet together to consolidate their natural kinship. The animated passages of this small volume provide that venue, and leaves the reader with plenty to think about. This is a collection of superb stories very well told by the author!

(patrick.dua@gmail.com)