Swimming in the Congo
by Margaret Meyers
Set against a natural landscape of stunning beauty on the banks of the Congo River, Swimming in the Congo
explores and illuminates the contours of a human landscape just as
complex and beguiling. Margaret Meyers paints the childhood experiences
of seven-year-old Grace Berggren and offers a sensitive portrayal of
mission life: the disparate, and sometimes conflicting, communities of
foreigners living in the Congo; the childhood pleasures of swimming in
the rivers; and the relationships Grace cultivates with awe, mystery,
and wonder.
Margaret Meyers
Author's Bio:Margaret Myers was born in Brussels, Belgium, and grew up in Zaire,
formerly Congo. Daughter of missionary parents, she lived at nine
different mission stations in the Equateur province. She moved to
the United States in 1976 to further her education. In her varied work
life, Meyers has been a creative writing teacher, a nurse's aide, a
library assistant, a hotel maid, a nanny, a textbook buyer, a shipping
clerk, and a security guard, among other things.
Awards:New York Public Library “Books for the Teen Age”
Quotes:“Anne of Green Gables meets Heart of Darkness:
Margaret Meyers's
heroine sees events in her three-cultured African world with an eye
that is ruthlessly intelligent and innocent. All of these climactic
moments startled me and struck me as true—many of them are so beautiful
that they took my breath away.”—John Casey, author of
Spartina, winner of the National Book Award
“This collection of luminous short stories chronicles
the adventures of [Grace Breggren]. . . an intelligent portrayal of the
troubles that still beset Africa.”—The Book Lover's Calendar
“A
wondrous river of words, impressions, characters, conflicts,
resolutions, exotic stories and settings to carry the reader away on
inner journeys.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Writing of the highest artistry and quality. Taken together as they
were created and are intended to be experienced, these stories are an
authentic and palpable evocation of coming of age in Africa, as Africa
itself comes to identity in an age of independence. . . .
This is an important contribution to our better understanding of the
complex, multicultural world we all share."—George Garrett, author of I Do Lord Remember Me |
Price:
$ 13.95
Binding: Paper
Availability In Stock: 1
out of stock
Publisher: Milkweed Editions
Published: 1995
Size: 5.5 x 8.5
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 300
ISBN: 9781571310064
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