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The Diaries of an African Immigrant is a novel without chapters that presents a moving timeline of events in the life of a troubled young man Ismael who migrated from Freetown to Canada, finds himself in the University of Toronto a divorced and desolate man.
The novel cleverly weaves several historical accounts into its narrative. It takes the reader through the eyes of Ismael the main character, into the memory lane of the past. So doing it gives a rare glimpse into pre-modern Africa during the years of the slave trade. It presents a heart breaking picture of unfounded bravery and sacrifice of a native fraternity the Poro, to halt enslavement of its people by slave traders from North America referred to in the novel as the pale people from across the ocean. Within the theme of this struggle, it explores the connivance of Africans described as an evil set of people belonging to the Cult Of The Dead who collaborate with slave traders to kidnap people and sell them off into slavery. The novel narrates the desperation and grief caused by the feeling of loss and powerlessness of the communities and families that were directly affected by these events. It records the prayers they offered, the things they said and did during this grief stricken period according to their traditions.
Using the characters and issues as a pivot, it moves the reader along the time lane to narrate the story of the descendants of these same African communities in the colonial era, fighting as allies in the Second World War. At this point they are suddenly introduced to new cultures and a new war far worst than any they have ever experienced. Through the colonial influence, they encounter a new way of life to which education and organized religion become central.
The Diaries of an African Immigrant, cleverly weaves this story to the present and the future encapsulated in a single character Ismael, to explore the modern day experience of life in North America particularly in Toronto as narrated from the eyes of a stranger. This is pursued through a compendium of tightly woven events that plague Ismael. Designed to provoke the reader, it covers sensitive topics such as religious rivalry, sexuality and prejudice from the eyes of an outsider.
It is a fast moving account of life in Toronto, the lingering prejudices faced by Africans and the enduring tensions of multiculturalism from the perspective of Ismael who is meticulously recording the ideas that have influenced his life: The places he has been. The things he has seen. The things he has done and the things that have been done to him.
The novel presents Toronto as a city where strangers are impeded from reaching their full potential quickly through a series of important unwritten codes and organized action by older group of residents and institutions. An example of this group of residents are a kind of feminists that it calls fedominists, that carryout a practice referred to as the Toronto initiation. This situation is further complicated by insinuating that immigrants or strangers generally, could unsuspectingly be trapped in the not too obvious fight between the conservative Christians referred to as haters and the alternative religion mafia that is struggling to dominate Toronto and convert it into the sin capital of Canada. The struggle between these groups leads to further personal anguish and economic hardship for newcomers caught in the middle. The Diaries of an African Immigrant is full of many kinds of subtle communication and meaning. Nothing is absolutely what it appears on the surface for everyone. From the cover page to the last period in the book, it is possible to infer something deeper into the images and the words that are being conjured beyond what immediately meets the eyes. In so doing this brings about a more complete fulfillment of personal meaning of what you are reading from your own life experience. And more so, you would probably be right in what you come up with. It is not surprising that the novel would live up to its promise of causing some discomfort to anyone who ever reads it, but would be pleasing in other areas too as it touches and releases the emotional pulse of almost any reader.
The book is set in Toronto Canada and Freetown, Sierra Leone where the main character of the plot, Ismael. begins his journey.
In this novel Ismael represents an encapsulation of the immigrant experience. He is the vehicle by which the story moves through time and around whom the experiences recounted in the book are been collated. Then there is his Grandmother Hadija who at the beginning of the book is introduced as a traditional mentor to Ismael. She hands over the historical pieces written by Ismael in Freetown by the oral tradition of word-of-mouth. Ismael discusses many traditional issues and ideas with grandma Hadija. In Toronto Alexandria a Program Director at the University of Toronto is introduced. She is a menace to Ismael and causes him great discomfort. She is a keen participant in the Toronto initiation alongside Florence and Mr. Hallon, who collaborate with her in executing her mischief. Then there are Richard and Rebecca, university classmates of Ismael that would give him the first lessons on life in Toronto.
The novel cleverly weaves several historical accounts into its narrative. It takes the reader through the eyes of Ismael the main character, into the memory lane of the past. So doing it gives a rare glimpse into pre-modern Africa during the years of the slave trade. It presents a heart breaking picture of unfounded bravery and sacrifice of a native fraternity the Poro, to halt enslavement of its people by slave traders from North America referred to in the novel as the pale people from across the ocean. Within the theme of this struggle, it explores the connivance of Africans described as an evil set of people belonging to the Cult Of The Dead who collaborate with slave traders to kidnap people and sell them off into slavery. The novel narrates the desperation and grief caused by the feeling of loss and powerlessness of the communities and families that were directly affected by these events. It records the prayers they offered, the things they said and did during this grief stricken period according to their traditions.
Using the characters and issues as a pivot, it moves the reader along the time lane to narrate the story of the descendants of these same African communities in the colonial era, fighting as allies in the Second World War. At this point they are suddenly introduced to new cultures and a new war far worst than any they have ever experienced. Through the colonial influence, they encounter a new way of life to which education and organized religion become central.
The Diaries of an African Immigrant, cleverly weaves this story to the present and the future encapsulated in a single character Ismael, to explore the modern day experience of life in North America particularly in Toronto as narrated from the eyes of a stranger. This is pursued through a compendium of tightly woven events that plague Ismael. Designed to provoke the reader, it covers sensitive topics such as religious rivalry, sexuality and prejudice from the eyes of an outsider.
It is a fast moving account of life in Toronto, the lingering prejudices faced by Africans and the enduring tensions of multiculturalism from the perspective of Ismael who is meticulously recording the ideas that have influenced his life: The places he has been. The things he has seen. The things he has done and the things that have been done to him.
The novel presents Toronto as a city where strangers are impeded from reaching their full potential quickly through a series of important unwritten codes and organized action by older group of residents and institutions. An example of this group of residents are a kind of feminists that it calls fedominists, that carryout a practice referred to as the Toronto initiation. This situation is further complicated by insinuating that immigrants or strangers generally, could unsuspectingly be trapped in the not too obvious fight between the conservative Christians referred to as haters and the alternative religion mafia that is struggling to dominate Toronto and convert it into the sin capital of Canada. The struggle between these groups leads to further personal anguish and economic hardship for newcomers caught in the middle. The Diaries of an African Immigrant is full of many kinds of subtle communication and meaning. Nothing is absolutely what it appears on the surface for everyone. From the cover page to the last period in the book, it is possible to infer something deeper into the images and the words that are being conjured beyond what immediately meets the eyes. In so doing this brings about a more complete fulfillment of personal meaning of what you are reading from your own life experience. And more so, you would probably be right in what you come up with. It is not surprising that the novel would live up to its promise of causing some discomfort to anyone who ever reads it, but would be pleasing in other areas too as it touches and releases the emotional pulse of almost any reader.
The book is set in Toronto Canada and Freetown, Sierra Leone where the main character of the plot, Ismael. begins his journey.
In this novel Ismael represents an encapsulation of the immigrant experience. He is the vehicle by which the story moves through time and around whom the experiences recounted in the book are been collated. Then there is his Grandmother Hadija who at the beginning of the book is introduced as a traditional mentor to Ismael. She hands over the historical pieces written by Ismael in Freetown by the oral tradition of word-of-mouth. Ismael discusses many traditional issues and ideas with grandma Hadija. In Toronto Alexandria a Program Director at the University of Toronto is introduced. She is a menace to Ismael and causes him great discomfort. She is a keen participant in the Toronto initiation alongside Florence and Mr. Hallon, who collaborate with her in executing her mischief. Then there are Richard and Rebecca, university classmates of Ismael that would give him the first lessons on life in Toronto.
Coming Soon The Kamajors:
Image not yet released
From Freetown Sierra Leone to Pretoria South Africa to Orlando USA, it is a simple story. But as it was believed in the olden days, all great stories are also simple stories that take a life of their own in the imagination of people long after they are told. It is a tale of intrigue that takes the reader on a journey of discovery of the resilience of the human spirit to suffering, stubbornly desiring what we think is the good and opposing the bad, which must be the different unwanted one.
The Army in a country in Africa called Sierra Leone turns against its own people, making friends with a group of rebels that everyone in the country hates passionately. A Government is formed that no one anywhere wants to do business with. That is, neither within the country nor out of it. They have enemies everywhere. In their desperation for control of the situation, this Revo Government as the people call it, rules the country with an iron fist and no mercy. Out of their pain and suffering, the people cry to a God who raises an army of faith warriors called Kamajors to rid the people of this tyranny.
A South African mercenary organization is hired by the ousted Government to work with a regional military alliance called ECOMOG, first to fight the war but then at the turn of events, to assist the Kamajors kick the junta out of power. It is all part of the plan of this God that the people are praying to.
Colonel Cross is a South African mercenary who works for the Executive Outcomes. Men like him are called soldiers of fortune. Since meeting the rosary wearing Kamajors, he is emotionally involved in this new war, unable to determine where his professional responsibility as a hired gun ends and where devotion and loyalty to a cause creeps in. He must be under a spell of the Kamajor Oracle.
A man who himself has a chequered family history, the forces around him are so strong that he is divided between love of his own family and love of the people he meets on the job, both feelings tugging equally violently at him. He tells this entire mesmerising tale, full of mystic and action about this epic group of faith warriors called the Kamajors that he is fighting with. This story might well be coming from another planet.
The Army in a country in Africa called Sierra Leone turns against its own people, making friends with a group of rebels that everyone in the country hates passionately. A Government is formed that no one anywhere wants to do business with. That is, neither within the country nor out of it. They have enemies everywhere. In their desperation for control of the situation, this Revo Government as the people call it, rules the country with an iron fist and no mercy. Out of their pain and suffering, the people cry to a God who raises an army of faith warriors called Kamajors to rid the people of this tyranny.
A South African mercenary organization is hired by the ousted Government to work with a regional military alliance called ECOMOG, first to fight the war but then at the turn of events, to assist the Kamajors kick the junta out of power. It is all part of the plan of this God that the people are praying to.
Colonel Cross is a South African mercenary who works for the Executive Outcomes. Men like him are called soldiers of fortune. Since meeting the rosary wearing Kamajors, he is emotionally involved in this new war, unable to determine where his professional responsibility as a hired gun ends and where devotion and loyalty to a cause creeps in. He must be under a spell of the Kamajor Oracle.
A man who himself has a chequered family history, the forces around him are so strong that he is divided between love of his own family and love of the people he meets on the job, both feelings tugging equally violently at him. He tells this entire mesmerising tale, full of mystic and action about this epic group of faith warriors called the Kamajors that he is fighting with. This story might well be coming from another planet.