Publisher's Synopsis
This fascinating and riveting narrative takes the reader into the myths, rituals, and mysteries of African culture. It illustrates traditional commemorations from the celebration of life at birth, through adulthood and procreation, to the mourning of death. The life of a boy born to a religious family and growing up in this milieu is exposed to cultural teachings on the value and importance of maintaining kinship bonds in a changing society. But as the older generation helplessly observe, the very foundations of kinship, the beacon of society, are eroding, and how the young will confront this change is the central drama of this story. From teaching and research, the author conducted inquiry through interviews with many knowledgeable people, along with observations of traditional ceremonies which guided the imaginative creation of the vivid scenes of this book. This revised edition targets three audiences: (1) academia - both faculty and students - as a university text book on African Studies and Cultural Anthropology; (2) visitors and foreign workers interested in an introductory understanding of the culture of the rural African environment; and (3) general readers for literary entertainment especially for air travelers over long hauls.
