T, Thank you for this short review,I read the book and it is very interesting.I hope people will buy it,Baba is a great writer. For Freedom Saiks >From: Tony Cisse <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Buy Baaba Sillah's Novel >Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2004 15:04:19 -0500 > >Jaajef to all on Gambia L. > >Baaba Sillah's novel 'When the Monkey Talks'has now been reprinted and is >available for purchase. > >This is a novel of social, political and economic history seen through the >eyes of a young boy, Samba, growing up in colonial West Africa. His story >is the story of the impact of economic changes that have taken place in >Africa ever since she had contact with Merchants and seafarers; Slavers, >Explorers, Colonialists and others of a mixed hew. More specifically, the >book examines the effect of the imposition of a monoculture on the lives, >culture and traditions of the peoples living under indirect rule. It is a >novel that spans the seventy-year period of colonial rule, between 1880 and >1950. It is the story of a son and his mother, a boy and his friends, a >young man falling in love and a young adult becoming politically aware of >the dynamics of colonialism and his own society. It touches on issues of >love, life, custom and continuity-the narrative is long and follows the >fortunes of ordinary everyday people and it embraces all aspects of life in >Africa under Colonial rule and its effects up to the present! > >In the words of Joakin, the palm wine tapper, the book attempts to restore >the dignity and splendour of the past. This gives us pride in who we are, >based on who we have been. In this way the book contributes to the >formation of who we may become. It is never too late to become. The >prerequisite is the acquisition of the knowledge of and pride in history >and tradition and to uphold a sense of equity and fair play and the >readiness to take responsibility for our actions. > >Inspite of the novel being based on life in West Africa, the issues that >are raise are Pan African and even common to developing countries which >have been under the influence of colonial powers at some time in their >history. Perhaps one even daresay, that any people desiring to focus on, >maintain and carry on their traditions in the face of the rapid pace of >modernisation- and yet can at the same time challenge these very traditions >if they stand in the way of progress and human advance. > >The book presents several challenges to the reader, salient among which, >are in something so basic as in the spelling of African names. Up until >now they have been spelt based on Anglo-Saxon phonology whereas a spelling >standard has been chosen based on local orthography which is closer to how >Africans speak and hear themselves. > >How to buy: > >go to: > >http://groups.msn.com/GambianNovelWhentheMonkeyTalks > >or e-mail admin_doineex"hotmail.com > >Prices = 10 pounds sterling plus postage and packing UK 2.50, EU 3.00, rest >of world 5.50 (all prices in UK pounds) > >Please support further by downloading the details and asking your >local/college/university library to buy a copy > >jamm ak xewel > >T.Cisse > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself with cool new emoticons http://www.msn.co.uk/specials/myemo いいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいい To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] いいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいい