There are myriad of books about Africa. Here is a collection of books that we’ve read and that have been recommended to us, as a starting point for a full immersion in memoirs and stories of life in Africa.

The Danish writer Karen Blixen can be seen as a forerunner of many stories of life in Africa. In her memoir Out of Africa (also a very successful movie starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford) Blixen recounts her adventures after buying a farm in Kenya, where she remained even after her divorce, which now hosts a museum.

Mukiwa, a White Boy in Africa tells the story of Peter Godwin’s childhood as a white boy in Rhodesia in the ’60s and ’70s, during the independence war. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun, his second memoir, focuses on his father’s life and Polish roots, with modern Zimbabwe as a backdrop. Godwin, a Zimbabwean author, journalist, and director, is dedicated to the defense of human rights.

Also set in Rhodesia is the story of Mary Ann Simkins, Memories of an African Sun: A Memoir of Faith and Adventure at the Heart of the Last Century. Mary Ann’s move there with her missionary parents was a 360° spin for the life of a girl that, since that first move, never stopped traveling, especially through the African continent.

Kuki Gallman is an Italian-born Kenyan author, poet, and environmentalist. Not only in her autobiography I Dreamed of Africa, but in all of her books, we read about memories of her childhood and experiences of her life in Africa.

Twenty Chicken for a Saddle is the story of the move of author Robyn Scott and family from New Zealand to Botswana.

Trevor Noah’s move was in the opposite direction: from his native South Africa, he moved to the United States, where he’s now a successful author and comedian. His memoir Born a Crime has had an enormous success in the US and elsewhere.

Among the stories of life in Africa, however, there are also, unfortunately, tragic ones. This is the case with The Girl Who Smiled Beads, by Clemantine Wamariya with Elizabeth Weil, that brings us right in the middle of the Rwandan Genocide. Clementine survives, and after a desperate journey through many African countries, she reaches the United States, where she can finally tell her story.

Always Another Country, by Sisonge Msimang, also tells stories of war and exile. Sisonge’s father was part of the guerrilla, and she was born in exile in Zambia. From there, she’ll travel all of her life, from Africa to Canada then back to a South Africa which she hopes will be different.

When Stars are Scatterred  is a graphic novel by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson, which tells the story of Omar growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya.

Trailing, a memoir is the highly recommended story of Kristin Louise Duncombe, a US citizen married to an Argentinian. Together, they move to Nairobi, where, after a traumatic experience, she will begin to make decisions that will be crucial for her life.

The Shadow of the Sun by Polish Journalist Ryszard Kapuściński gives us an insight into the heart of Africa, far away from stereotypes. During his trip, Kapuściński immerses himself in the reality of local cultures, gets sick, meets people. He brings all of his experiences to us with extraordinary immediacy and humanity.

We conclude this roundup by recommending Ubuntu: One woman’s motorcycle odyssey across Africa by Australian author Heather Ellis. It’s the story of her incredible solo motorcycle journey through several African countries, and into remote places where no one had ventured before, especially not in the saddle of a motorbike!

Claudia Landini, translated into English by Anna Cereti

Cover Image from Pixabay