In his memoir, ‘Growing Up in a Small African Village’ Dr. Robert Peprah-Gyamfi provides an account of his childhood experiences growing up in Mpintimpi, a small village in Ghana where there were about 100 residents. His inspiration for telling his story comes from a poignant memory when he was young man about to leave the village to pursue his education endeavors. Dr. Robert Peprah-Gyamfi remembers one of the villagers saying to him, “Do not forget us.” His heart has always been with the villagers no matter where life took him, and now his goal is to establish a Health Centre that will improve the lives of the villagers.

 

Dr. Robert Peprah-Gyamfi’s memoir entails an in-depth account of experiences that influenced his work ethic, his belief in the importance of family, his spirituality, and his desire to help impoverished people as a doctor. He shares remarkable stories about his family, villagers, customs, education, and spirituality of the community. A strong emphasis is on the role of the extended family and community support. Customs such as polygamy are chronicled, as well as interesting customs such as when women were having their menstrual cycle; they could not cook for their husband. He highlights the hardships endured as a child, including the quality of health care. Readers will learn about the ignorance of the nurses and doctors in the hospital that was in another town that was a very far distance from the village. As well, readers will learn about unsanitary injections by people who were often not qualified to do give injections. ‘Smuggled injections’ is another issue discussed. ‘Smuggled injections’ involved fake doctors convincing the villagers that an injection would treat any condition. Many unnecessary injections were given and the villagers would be sent back to the village.

 

Home health care and witchcraft is another interesting subject of the book. Readers will learn of how the villagers did their best to treat illnesses, even if the medicine was not appropriate for the particular condition. For instance, the medicine called Atwood was used to treat a wide variety of illnesses although Atwood was just a medicine for treating constipation. The practice of painful circumcision is also chronicled.

 

In regards to the community, Dr. Robert Peprah-Gyamfi provides an in-depth account of life in the village that included colorful residents and how their hardships were not seen as obstacles, but challenges to overcome. Readers will learn about meal preparation and how the chief meal ‘Fufu’ is prepared. Readers will be surprised to learn of the use of the chemical DDT to catch fish by pouring the chemical in the water, waiting for the fish to die, and then collecting the fish to eat. Fortunately, DDT was eventually banned. He also discusses his childhood education where at the age of 6, he would walk 2 miles to school and return home to do the chores followed by homework by Kerosene lamp. He also discusses the act of caning a student as punishment for such reasons as failure to perform well on a mental arithmetic test.

 

‘Growing Up in a Small African Village’ is a compelling and well written story that will make readers feel as though they have been transported back in time to experience the events Dr. Robert Peprah-Gyamfi recounts. Readers will understand why the village has had such a positive impact on Dr. Robert Peprah-Gyamfi’s life. It becomes quite clear why he has never forgotten the village and why he wants to create a health centre to improve the villagers’ lives. As well, readers will gain an appreciation for the strength of spirit of the community. No matter how hard life became, they made the best of it, and worked hard to survive. ‘Growing Up in a Small African Village’ is the story of an impoverished community with an immense spirit.

 

Tracy Roberts, Write Field Services

 

In her memoir, ‘When the Phoenix Rises’, author and renowned business woman, Wendy Wong, shares a unique and fascinating life story about her struggle to emerge from a life of poverty in Hong Kong, China, to that of a successful business woman and mother living in Hawaii.

 

Wendy begins her story as a young girl living in abject poverty in Post World War II China. She shares a childhood of bleak conditions where her father and mother could barely make ends meet. She recalls an incident where she woke in bed one night to feel the bloody fur of a mouse that was dying from poisoning in her bed.

 

At a very young age, Wendy knew she was meant to rise above her dismal conditions to achieve success both personally and professionally. No matter what challenges confronted her, including the subservient role assigned to women, Wendy never let them defeat her. Her relationship with men, especially with a Hawaii real estate tycoon, is an example of how she converted love into guidance on succeeding in a tough business world. When she changed her name from Cindy (Cinderella) to Wendy, it marked a point in her life where she begins to discover her own sense of self. Throughout out her life, she learns many valuable life lessons which she shares with readers:

 

“To Chinese, education is not only for academics, but most importantly; it is for moral and social education.”

“…you have to take chances, work diligently, be creative, and listen to your instincts.”

“I am my greatest asset, and I must please myself as much as I please family and friends.”

 

From her son’s outstanding education path, to providing her developmentally challenged daughter with many resources to help her find her own place of contentment, readers will discover that it is Wendy’s children and their success that keeps her grounded and focused.

 

Wendy’s determination regarding her education, business ventures, and personal relationships, helped shape a modern day feminist outlook on life. The experiences and accomplishments she shares along with the setbacks, both personally and professionally reveal how her character and moral convictions evolved.

 

‘When the Phoenix Rises’ is an inspiring journey of how one woman overcame insurmountable odds not only to find herself, but to gracefully embrace motherhood as a working mom. The memoir is highly recommended as an inspirational story of modern day feminism rooted in a strong cultural motif.

 

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In his memoir, ‘Jigsaw’, author Tim Ricker tells an emotional story about his tumultuous journey through life. He shares a reflective and personal account of a painful childhood in the 1950s and 60s followed by a life filled with intriguing events and people. While on his journey, Tim grows to be wiser and achieves a sense of peace.  

 

In 1959, Tim’s journey begins when his family moves to Florida. For a nine year old, life becomes extremely difficult. An alcoholic and abusive father and an alcoholic mother have a profound effect on him that lasts for years. He faces such traumatic events as the death of his baby sister and his father’s severe physical abuse inflicted on his mother. Tim was forced to grow up quickly as he took on the role of his mother’s protector. At a very young age, Tim learns a valuable life lesson: “You deal with the hand life deals you.”

 

At age 14, Tim’s mother is badly hurt leaving him at the mercy of his father. One night while in a drunken rage, his father comes after him. He escapes and is eventually adopted by his Aunt and Uncle who live in Washington. On the bus ride to Washington, he has his first gay experience.

 

Tim tries to put the gay experience behind him and focus on living a traditional life. At 17 he marries, and at 19, he and his wife Debann have a child. He works hard to maintain a traditional family, but struggles internally with his true self. The marriage eventually ends, and his journey charts a new course to find his true identity.

 

Tim’s life story is that of a young boy who entered adulthood too soon. With no parental role models, readers will observe how Tim’s chaotic childhood affected his choices as an adult. With each experience and relationship he encounters, Tim is able to overcome his own demons and gain insight into his own sense of self. Whether it was Dennis, a partner for 17 years and eventual life friend, or Bob, who brought chaos and confusion into his life, Tim is able to process the experiences to better understand his own complexities. He shares a number of deeply personal experiences such as his suicide attempt and the pain he felt when his son rejected him. He comes to his own personal realizations:

 

“It was all about proving to me that I would never let fear and loneliness keep me captive or away from everything that life may bring my way.”

 

During Tim’s turbulent life, he lost many friends and family members. Throughout it all, he was able fit the pieces of his life together. Over the years, he acquired many valuable life lessons such as making every moment a precious memory, the importance of loving yourself before you can love another, and finding the courage to stand up for yourself in both your work and personal life.

 

The story is very detailed in its description of experiences that took place over a fifty year period.  I would have liked to have seen more details about significant life experiences and less on details on his work life. His relationship with his son was an engaging part of the book. I would have liked to have read more about their intense interactions to get a better understanding of his son’s feelings.

 

With thoughtful writing that is sometimes witty and sometimes sentimental, ‘Jigsaw’ tells the story of a man, who is not just gay, but also a son, husband, father, lover, care taker, friend, and grandparent. It is a story that shows we are truly the sum of our parts.  It is highly recommended to readers who enjoy compelling memoirs.

 

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In her book, The Joy of Being, author Hildegard Caringi presents a series of short stories and poems that are put together to portray a unique compilation that is part memoir and part prose.

 

Revealing how she conquered adversity to discover the joy of living, Caringi shares a personal story of struggle and survival. Readers are taken back to post World War II Germany where the author is a young child trying to survive the treacherous aftermath and extreme hardships that she and her family endured. Her journey is one of growing up in the most challenging situations to eventually immigrate to the United States. Caringi provides a candid and in depth of account of the suffering she endured that included losing her father and other family members, worries of starvation, as well as fears of being killed. Throughout the harsh conditions that she faced, her mother was the strength that held the family together. Caringi reveals that her mother provided the unconditional strength and love that helped the family survive the most difficult times.

 

Within her poems, the author brings her deepest feelings and thoughts alive to impart messages of love, courage, resolve, friendship, and family unity. The poems are rich in rhyme and colors with images of love, faith, and liberation that are written to those who touched her in the most meaningful way. Rooted in her poems are important life lessons: “The joy and fullness of living is found in your soul through generous giving.” “The moral is not to give into your greed, whenever you think you’re in the greatest of need.”

 

Caringi is able to draw on nature and its inspirational beauty to deliver heartfelt poems of faith, peace, friendship, and spiritual renewal: “Ah nature! Bring calm to my spirit and peace to my door. I know you won’t fail me; you bring so much more.”

 

Hildegard Caringi has lived a remarkable life filled with fear, loss, friendship, and unconditional family love that shaped her character and faith.  As a story written over a lifetime, it reveals the true spirit of living that will touch the hearts of all readers.

 

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