Africa's Child

Dancing Soul Trilogy

by Maria Nhambu

Discover a Heartfelt Memoir That Explores the Power of the Human Spirit Abandoned as an infant and raised in an orphanage in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania, East Africa, Maria Nhambu suffered bullying, life-threatening illness, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and racial discrimination for being a mixed-race child. Life in the orphanage was difficult and at times dangerous, yet Nhambu (she now goes by her African last name) did not let that break her soul. Instead, she made a vow to love and care for herself—a decision that radically changed her life. Growing up in the orphanage, Nhambu developed two great dance and the pursuit of formal education. Attracted by the music from the neighboring tribal village, Nhambu observed and felt the power of African dance. Although it was forbidden to dance the African way at the orphanage, she practiced in secret and used dance to nourish her spirit through years of loneliness, abandonment, and uncertainty about her identity. Her intense desire for education enabled her to continue in school despite the fact that schooling for girls at the time was not common. Nhambu recounts how she, at age nineteen, met a twenty-three-year-old American high school teacher who would bring her to the United States for university studies and a new life in the United States. Filled with tears, wisdom, warmth and laughter, Africa’s Child , the first book in the Dancing Soul Trilogy , gives readers an inspiring message of courage, faith, hope and resilience. Nhambu invites you on a journey through her tumultuous childhood, revealing how she triumphed over tragedy and found courage through the remarkable healing power of African dance and her profound belief in the power of loving oneself. America’s Daughter, the second book of the trilogy, reveals her encounter with life in the United States where she finds love and family and creates Aerobics With Soul®, a fitness program based on African dance. In Drum Beats, Heart Beats , she encounters the full mystery of her origins and deals with intense personal challenges. Her award-winning memoir, which offers a unique, international insight into prejudice and racism, has inspired readers worldwide.

Genres: Fiction, Africa, Contemporary, Book Club, Race, Epic, Historical Fiction

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2016

Reviews

[Joc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the hauntingly beautiful memoir of the first 19 years of Mary, who was raised in Kifungilo orphanage in in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. The orphanage was specifically set up to take in mixed-race children because they were not accepted by the Tanzanian tribes. The German order of nuns running the orphanage ruled with an austerity and brutality in some cases but also with genuine love in others. The orphanage was run so that it was fully self-sufficient, growing their own fruit and vegetables as well as keeping livestock. Most of the daily chores fell to the children.

Mary, born in 1944, recounts her life from her earliest memories, a child whose soft hair was enviable but was called ‘Fat Mary’ for most of her childhood. Not all children at the orphanage were without parents. Many had parents who would visit them occasionally and they were seen as the lucky ones. Mary didn’t have parents and her way of coping with the appalling treatment at the hands of the nuns and the brutality of the bullying by the older children, who are supposed to care for them, is inventive and exudes inner strength.

Her story is told in such a matter-of-fact way that often I was shocked by her lack of outrage. But she knew no different and leaves the outrage to the reader. In many ways, this made the story easier to read. It often seemed that when Mary’s life was moving in a positive direction, the goalposts would move again. Mary has as recognition from a young age that her only way out of her situation is to get an education which she fights for relentlessly irrespective of the setback. Humour is often woven into the anecdotes but there is pathos there too.

She tells of the friends she loves and the battles she fights, her illnesses that brought her close to death and her constant desire to learn more. Her telling of her early life is detailed and intricate (there are two more books in her memoir series). Mary’s quest and determination to change her life is a powerful read.

Book received in exchange for an honest review.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Nhambu was raised by German Catholic nuns at an orphanage for mixed race children in Tanzania, East Africa. Dancing Soul Trilogy, her Memoirs, begins with Africa's Child, which tells her dramatic story from birth to her departure from her homeland.

Maria never knew her family. She suffered many indignities in the orphanage and during her high school education. But it was education that saved her. She was smart enough to get a scholarship for college in America.

Her story continues in the second book America's Daughter

[Stephen R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Africa’s Child s is an exciting, captivating, and inspiring personal story. It explores gender and mixed race issues. Maria Nhambu talks about her world in a great sense of humor despite the many injustices and obstacles she goes through.

Africa’s Child is a story of a mixed-race girl Nhambu who grows up in an orphanage in Tanzania. Without any family ties, the child goes through a lot of hardships, including sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, and racial discrimination. Nhambu tells her story from birth, growing up in an orphanage run by German nuns and finally moving out of her home country to America. The story continues of her life in America as an adoptive mother.

Through faith and resilience, she triumphs over many challenges. She pursues her love for education with immense success. Her journey is an inspiration to the readers. She experiences some of the harshest encounters, yet she was able to make something good out of it. It is a true motivation that you will want to read again and again.

[Nirvarnia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been out for a few years and this author has some other books out there that are definitely going to end up on my short list, even though memoirs are not normally my go-to for light reading. The way that Nhambu manages to write about all of her struggles and feelings of social isolation/hardship while still embracing the fact that it made her who she is and gave her the life she has is absolutely awe-inspiring.

The fact that she persists in the positive way she does is one thing, but the way she’s compiled her memoir just shows that her creativity also remained in tact. I think the best chapter, that embodies the spirit and positivity of Nhambu best is the one on adoption (chapter 8). This shows perfectly how the nastiness of the world around her cannot bring her down, no matter how hard it tries.

[Jessica LeVault · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m Africa’s Child, Maria Nhambu describes her life in Africa and the people she met. Maria gives a very visual description of everything that happened so that the reader can picture what is happening while reading. From the German nuns who raised her to the big girls who beat her to illness nearly leading to death to her going to a new school, you learn just how different life in Africa is compared to the United States. You can literally feel the emotions that Mary goes through each time she is teased, sick, beaten, and the excitement she feels when finding out she gets to come to the United States and is no longer an orphan.

[Cool Your Boots · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a book that everyone should read. Even if you don't initially relate to it, then you will appreciate the human nature involved, and perhaps you will appreciate your own up-bringing that little bit more. Maria Nhambu is an absolute inspiration to women worldwide by sharing her story. I found this at times difficult to read, no young woman, or child should have to endure what she did. Ultimately I am so in awe that someone can re-count such ordeal, and remain so incredibly strong to bring forth a book to encourage young women that they are not alone. I am so glad that she has decided to make this a trilogy as I could feel as I was reading that Nhambu had more to say. Thank you.

[James Diluzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant, Shocking but ultimately Full of Hope

Maria's memoir captivates the reader from one episode to the next as she chronicles her young life in an African orphanage. Love and brutality alternate throughout Maria's experiences but her resourceful and loving spirit amazes and inspires. Her sense of humor, vulnerability and the honesty in which she shares her story make this one of my favorite reading experiences ever. There are images that linger in the reader's mind long after the book is finished. A remarkable woman and a most engaging book. I look forward to Book 2!

[Green Pastures · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Nhambu, I salute you! This was singlehandedly one of the most fascinating stories I have ever read. I laughed until I cried, I cried until my heart ached, I jumped up and down, I screamed at the pages of the book as if I were speaking to real life people! This narrative is fascinating and extraordinary, it provides a very vivid account of the life of an abandoned mixed-race child in an orphanage in Tanzania. I don’t like to compare authors because I think they are all unique in their own right. However, my all-time favourite author is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and the way Maria writes reminds me of her, she has the same ability to arouse emotions in you that you did not know existed. This book is part one of a forthcoming trilogy and I look forward to reading the other two books. Blessings to you Maria Nhambu, this is a true masterpiece.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

At my neighborhood's National Night Out, I met the author of this remarkable memoir. Hearing briefly about her life sparked my curiosity to read this. The book covers Nhambu's childhood and adolescence growing up in an orphanage in Tanzania run by German nuns. She vividly captured the setting, dynamics of the children, tensions with the community over identify, and complex relationships with the nuns. Most moving were her longings for love and acceptance from caretakers who were overburdened and the exploitation that she faced at the hands of people who should have been her protectors. The memoir celebrates the tenacity that she devoted to education, which ultimately served as her path toward a better future.

[Lonni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow - I've had bright, resilient kids in my classrooms over the years, but this woman tops them all. Wise enough for "self-talk" at age 5, she refuses to be beat down by an orphanage system in then Tanganyika (present day Tanzania). The writing is clear, highly detailed and very emotional. Only 4 stars b/c it's literary quality is not quite classic, BUT the story is riveting!

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Africa's Child by Maria Nhambu
Starts with praise for the book and a bit about the book and how a child comes of age in Africa.
Frightening and terrifying moments as the child grows up guided by the German nuns. She is able to form some relationships with other girls and she has a special friend.
She learns many things about becoming a woman and she fears she will never have a child because she thinks nuns sewed her up. Moments of learning other intimate details are described.
Hate the bullying and all the diseases she gets in her childhood. Some things I can relate to but growing up in the US is so different. She goes through things I will never have to endure. She is so strong and brave.
Love how she thinks she was born along with other orphans. She hopes one day to meet up with her mother...
She really wants to continue her schooling so she can become a teacher herself.
Love choices she is given and the understanding of the ones not chosen. Like hearing of her other works after this book took place and about the author is also included at the end.
Very touching emotional story. Love how music and dance plays a huge part to her success.
I received this review copy from the author via the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

[Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the powerful autobiography of Maria Nhambu. She recounts her painful childhood growing up in an orphanage in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania, East Africa. The story is incredibly inspiring, as even through all of the hardships faced, her resilience and determination are strong, and she comes through. The story is painful to read at times because of the harsh subjects discussed in the book, including abuse, discrimination, and sexual abuse. Even so, Nhambu tells this story with humor, hope, faith, and beautiful language. Reading this story pulled me deep into the tale and made me cry and hope right along with her. I was astounded by this book from beginning to end. This book is the first book in a three-part trilogy about Nhambu's life, and I look forward to continuing my journey with her.

[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Africa's Child (Dancing Soul Trilogy Book1) by Maria Nhambu is a riveting memoir written by a formidable survivor. A captivating and well written account of her early life, the author has a way of making a difficult childhood, without a home but an orphanage, something to overcome in an amazingly positive way. She has thrived and become a force to be reckoned with. Her surroundings in the orphanage were incongruous to the world outside her door, her heritage seemingly hidden from view. An amazing story that is recalled through recollections, interviews, and journals, this book will hit you with its emotional force and depth. The author's story reveals itself as one of resilience and power over circumstances. This book is a powerful journey that will resonate with anyone who has felt left out, cast aside, or neglected. Great reading, with a positive message about one woman's survival and ability to thrive in spite of negative and difficult times.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matter of fact telling of Mary's life, an incredibly interesting story. I love 'Fat Mary' (her inner self) who she discovers and she talks to and I loved the advice the priest from her first school gave her (about life being a series of hellos and goodbyes).
No wonder she is scared of men, the priests at the end made me angry. I'm glad she got away from them. I'm excited to read book 2 about her life in the US.

[Susan Fridley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with powerful clarity, vulnerability, insight and humor, this moving memoir illuminates what is truly important in life. Nhambu answers the question of how a human being can survive and thrive under cruelty and oppression. A rare account of lyrical and fascinating beauty.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dancing light

Beautiful Maria Nhambu initiates her three-part autobiography trilogy with AFRICA’S CHILD – an extraordinarily superb book that opens the celebration of her passion for Africa, her birthplace, African culture, and her passion for dance. Maria has created Aerobics With Soul, a fitness program that marries dance with enhancing movement and health.

Memoirs such as this are rare: the sharing of a problematic childhood that eventually blossoms into a celebration of those very beginnings that seemed dire into eventually becoming a path to self acceptance and understanding that would influence and benefit generations. Maria was born in Tanzania, East Africa, raised in an orphanage as a child who did not know her parents, tended by both German and American nuns, and experiencing not only physical and mental abuse, but also racial discrimination. But as she matured into a teenager she grew with her faith and resilience, becoming self reliant and independent, embraced education and her passion for African tribal dance to the point when she won scholarships to follow her destiny to America and university education.

One of the many reasons this book is so worth of wide attention is the manner in which Maria relates her story. Her prose is polished, enhancing even the most negative aspects with a sure sense of humor. In her Prologue Maria opens the portal for this life: ‘In the piercing cold and windy afternoon of January 4, 1944, a brown Bedford box-body car crawled and bumped along a rough, dusty road high in the Usambara Mountains of Tanganyika, East Africa. Hesitantly it reached its destination: Kifungilo—“gusts of wind” in Kisambaa, the language of the local African tribe. Kifungilo was the home of the Don Bosco Orphanage and School for mixed race, halfcaste, unwanted and orphaned children run by German Catholic Sisters of the Precious Blood Order.’ And later she continues, ‘As a child I prayed often and I prayed hard. Like all children of the orphanage and boarding school at Kifungilo, I was required to say many prayers in Latin when we went to church every day. But I often stayed after services to pray in Swahili for my one great longing—to find my mother. I liked the prayers I made up best.’

Sensitive, insightful, and wonderfully endearing, this I a book with so many important messages that it deserves the attention of all readers – a fine instrument to understanding racial equality and perseverance. Recommended.

[Jerry White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a heartbreaking story I can't imagine how a child could survive the things Maria Nhambu has. Facing institutional abuse, bullying and brutality on a daily basis as well as dealing with abandonment by her family. This is such a powerful story and really emotional. Such a worthwhile read to appreciate the strength and courage this woman has.

[Monica Joshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful read

I was inspired by Maria’s journey. Her perseverance and determination is commendable. The message to “love yourself” stands true across cultures and continents. I look forward to reading the rest of her books

[Trish Honch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Greetings and hello!

I am an interstellar talent scout of the Castor Moving
Group Network. You may call me Glorbalorbl. My
home is in the Zubenelgenubi system, a multi-star
neighborhood which lies conveniently close to your
home system's ecliptic plane. As a result of this
geometric convenience, us Zubenelgenubians have
long been capable of analyzing your home planet
using techniques like the TTV method familiar to
you, and we are even fully capable of direct
spectroscopic analysis of your atmosphere, but even
if we were limited to your primitive methods, or
limited to one star system, we would still have
known about your biosphere since long before your
particular species showed up on the scene, because
we are a much older civilization that has migrated
into the area from elsewhere in the galaxy.

We have occasionally glanced your way in curiosity
since before the first campfires began dotting the
dark side of your planet. Upon observing your
behaviors as you developed your unique identity
among the lifeforms of your world, we quickly knew
that you showed a lot of promise, but also
possessed many problematic qualities. As for these
troublesome characteristics, you seemed apparently
unable or unwilling to recognize and remedy them in
as timely of a manner as we have come to expect
from most species that we consider to be developing
toward true intelligence.

We have long wanted to give you the benefit of the
doubt, noting that your home planet is as dynamic
as it is beautiful. The challenges faced by the
evolution of life on your world presented you with
many harsh realities and many long threads of
intergenerational trauma. We get it, you grew up in a
tough neighborhood. You did not have the benefit of
growing up slowly on a fully-stable paradise planet
orbiting neatly in a flare-free band of space around a
fully-convective star with an extremely long main-
sequence lifespan, like my species originally did... or,
in fact, like most of the intelligent species in the
galaxy did.

Nonetheless, it was frustrating enough watching the
constant setbacks that resulted from your
stubbornly persistent myopia that we decided to
stop paying much attention to what was going on
over here. The last time anyone in our network took a
serious peek must have been a few hundred Earth
orbits ago. Upon reflection, I must say this appears
to have been a significant oversight on our behalf,
as you have experienced a surprising amount of
change in that time interval.

During a normal shift break on a routine research
mission through the local void, my colleagues and I
were recreationally surfing the plasma veil on the
edge of your Sun's magnetic field when we
happened upon a small craft of yours containing
some cute cartoons and a record that appears to be
titled "THE SOUNDS OF EARTH THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA PLANET EARTH" - as lovers of music
and recording arts ourselves, we immediately threw
that shit onto the decks and put the needle down.
While the sound was a little bit primitive and mostly
contained what seemed to our sensibilities like under
-produced source material captured from a single
linear timeline, we had to admit it had some pretty
good tracks on it. Even Greglorbalor the Horrible was
delightedly clapping his digits at times.

As the resident talent scout on our mission, it was
incumbent upon me to reach out to you. Our team
quickly analyzed the current state of your common
languages and colloquialisms, as well as the state
of your science. Using that information I was able to
write you this message, and even select a few
anthems of my alien nation to share with you, which
I hope you will enjoy. My home system, after all, is
renowned for pumping out the phattest beats in the
Orion Arm.

Now, to get more serious. Some of the things I say
may feel to you like harsh criticisms, but I want you
to keep in mind that if I didn't see potential in you, I
would not bother to send you this message. With
that in mind, there are some things I would like you
to consider. In order to apply for galactic citizenship
and be liberated from your current state of
quarantined containment, you are going to need to
meet the following requirements:

1) You must cease your habitual engagement in
avoidable conflict. This includes conflict within your
own species as well as conflict between your
civilization and its environment. Amongst nearly all
enlightened interstellar civilizations, this is the
primary measure by which the relative intelligence of
a life form is established. Any civilization with a
tendency toward violence, duplicity, sabotage, and ill
-will is simply not considered mature enough to
populate beyond their native star system. As long as
you avoid making the breathtakingly obvious
decision to work in harmony with the world you are a
part of, then I must woefully inform you that you and
your music will not be welcome at any of our public
parks, or on any of our relativistic highways, or in
any of our universally-acclaimed utopian garden-
metropolis sanctuaries, or at any of our Galactic
Music Awards ceremonies.

2) You must eliminate poverty. Mismanagement of
resources is generally considered a bad sign when
analyzing the inhabitants of any world. By our
standards, as long as any one member of your
civilization is involuntarily unable to meet their basic
needs, including access to food, shelter, information,
and care, the title of "intelligent" will continue to
elude your species.

3) You must transmit a new collection of your best
music in the direction of my home system, the star
system you know as Alpha Librae, from between the
longitude you call 100°W and 110°W, at the time you
call 12:08 AM, on the date you call June 21, 2038. I
repeat: new mixtape, right ascension 14h 52m 07.6s,
declination 16°08'06.0", at the moment of the
solstice closest to your aphelion, sixteen orbits from
the time of this message, and from the part of your
planet facing most directly away from your Sun at
the time. This isn't an intelligence test like the other
two items I have listed, I simply want a more up-to-
date demo from you. We will have a
receiver/transmitter in position to then distribute
your message rapidly to the Zubenelgenubi system
and, from there, to my colleagues in the Castor
Moving Group Network.

To put it lightly, a good demo is a great first step
toward building your rapport with the rest of us, and
would make your application for galactic citizenship
much more likely to be approved. If your demo is
good, and you've met the other two requirements I
mentioned, then we might be able to finally invite
you to the party. If your application is indeed
approved, you will then have access to the collective
knowledge of the various networks tangling their
way around the Milky Way. That includes an
abundance of helpful information about travel,
communication, computation, longevity, and
spacetime itself, to name a few points of interest.

Good luck, Earth People.

Kindest regards,
Glorbalorblorlbrrgkjegrlkust6;l9[-t67/0

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Africa’s Child by Maria Nhambu is a fascinating memoir of a young girl who grows up in an orphanage designed to care for and educate the mixed children of Tanzania, Africa. The story begins when Maria was about five. Often call “Fat Mary”; she struggled with abandonment when all the other children had a family. Being alone taught Mary many things, but the one thing that changed her life was when she decided she would love herself when no one else would. Her invisible friend became a buffer from the trying times she had yet to face.
 
I found Maria Nhambu an exceptional storyteller as she recalls her younger years in the orphanage. Africa’s Child is an amazing book that will mesmerize the reader as you read of her misfortune that she turns around for good. Nhambu never comes across as a victim, but always victorious of the trials and hardships that come her way. You finish this book feeling you have a bond with the author as you view into her life.

[Luis Humberto Molinar Márquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

[English review + Reseña en español]

Africa's Child (Dancing Soul Trilogy, #1) by Maria Nhambu
Dancing Twiga Press. 2016
356 pages.
Genre / Theme: Memories

“Fat” Mary is a very positive, non-white, but not entirely black African girl who lives in the German Catholic orphanage Kinfungilo, in colonial Tanganyika in 1944 (now Tanzania, West Africa). Rejected at birth, all she wants is to belong and to find a mother who loves her. When she discovers that this will not be the case, and that not even her beloved baby Jesus can change that situation, she creates an unconditional imaginary double, fully capable of giving her the love and support that she so badly needs.

Written through the eyes of a girl who yearns for love and still has faith in miracles, this novel deals with contemporary issues such as freedom, race, gender, abuse, power relations, history and culture, African communities, the Catholic religion, education and orphans in the African society, resilience in a cruel world, perseverance of dreams and the triumph of the person in the face of adversity.

This first part of the Dancing Soul trilogy of personal memories, which tells the childhood of Maria Nhambu and her youth until the age of 19, is inspiring, captivating, sometimes very funny and other times planily sad. In it there are memorable characters like Mary herself, Sisters Silvestris, Clotilde, Theonesta and Rufina, and her companions: Elizabeth, Paulina, Rosa, and the cruel Zami. If you like the autobiographical genre and are excited about the idea of reading the memoirs of an African girl / teenager with high aspirations and a desire to never get stuck, this may be the perfect book for you.


-------

Africa's Child (Dancing Soul Trilogy, #1) por Maria Nhambu
Dancing Twiga Press. 2016
356 páginas.
Género / Temática: Memorias

“Fat” Mary (Mary "la gorda") es una niña africana no-blanca, pero no del todo negra, muy positiva, que vive en el orfanato católico alemán Kinfungilo, en la Tanganica colonial de 1944 (hoy Tanzania, África Occidental). Rechazada al nacer, todo lo que desea es pertenecer al grupo y encontrar una madre que la quiera. Cuando descubre que no será así, y que ni su amado niño Jesús puede cambiar esa situación, crea una doble imaginaria incondicional, totalmente capaz de darle el amor y el apoyo que ella tanto necesita.

Esta novela, escrita a través de los ojos de una niña que anhela el amor y que aún tiene fe en los milagros, trata temas contemporáneos como la libertad, la raza, el género, el abuso, las relaciones de poder, la historia y cultura locales de África, la religión católica, la educación y la orfandad en la sociedad africana, la resiliencia en mundo cruel, la perseverancia de los sueños y el triunfo de la persona ante la adversidad.

Esta primera parte de la trilogía de memorias personales Dancing Soul, que narra la infancia de Maria Nhambu y su juventud hasta los 19 años, es por demás inspiradora, cautivadora, a veces muy divertida y otras veces triste. En ella hay personajes memorables como la misma Mary, las Hermanas Silvestris, Clotilde, Theonesta y Rufina, y sus compañeras Elizabeth, Paulina, Rosa, y la cruel Zami. Si te gusta el género autobiográfico y te entusiasma la idea de leer las memorias de una niña/adolescente africana con grandes aspiraciones y muchas ganas de jamás quedarse estancada, este puede ser el libro perfecto para ti.

[Lenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a personal story that proves one more time, women can do it all even if the circumstances are against them. This is the amazing journey of Maria Nhambu, how her entire life became this hard reality and constant fight; but determined to survive in a world of cruelty, racisms and abuse; she tells her story so beautifully that there is no space for hatred towards her circumstances. Instead you find yourself amazed by her strength.

Maria Nhambu was raised in East Africa, in an orphanage run by German nuns. Her way of building her own strength and spirit was through dance, African tribal dance. Even if her whole life was meet with challenges, she finds herself becoming even stronger and finds a way to a new life. This book is inspiring, emotional, and truly amazing.

[Nela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Africa's Child is the first book in the Dancing Soul Trilogy by author Maria Nhambu, which is a truly moving memoir. In a strong story of resilience in the face of abandonment, abuse and pain, music and education are weaved in the childhood life of this author.
Although many current issues such as racism, discrimination or even feminism are addressed throughout the book, it undoubtedly contains a final message of courage, faith, hope and survival. The honest and sincere voice of the first person stands out.
While the story can be raw and quite strong, I think at the end it is an inspiring and hopeful story that many types of readers will surely enjoy.

[Dani Savante · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Africa's Child: A Memoir of Survival and Resilience" is the first book in the "Dancing Soul" trilogy.
A highly inspiring drama novel that recounts the complicated and difficult life of an African woman who from her earliest childhood suffered neglect, abuse, and grew up in a totally destructive place. But the most important thing in this story is that none of that conditioned her to limit herself to achieving her dreams.
She grew up making a pact of fidelity and self-love to herself and managed to be a strong and successful woman.
This novel has made me reflect a lot, it allowed me to find myself on it on many occasions and to be able to fully enjoy the story.

[Bluebird · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to comprehend how a person can go through so much hardship, abandonment, neglect and abuse throughout their childhood and still become such a strong, determined, positive and inspirational champion of life. Maria's journey is shocking and hard to take but is also filled with so much light. The resilience is awe inspiring and empowering and damn right unbelievable. An incredible story.

[Emily Leutgeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Was America The heaven in the beatitude, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?’ Would God follow me to America? Or would he be angry with me for abandoning the land of my birth?”