The Hundred Wells of Salaga

by Ayesha Harruna Attah

Based on true events, a story of courage, forgiveness, love, and freedom in precolonial Ghana, told through the eyes of two women born to vastly different fates.

Aminah lives an idyllic life until she is brutally separated from her home and forced on a journey that transforms her from a daydreamer into a resilient woman. Wurche, the willful daughter of a chief, is desperate to play an important role in her father's court. These two women's lives converge as infighting among Wurche's people threatens the region, during the height of the slave trade at the end of the nineteenth century.

Through the experiences of Aminah and Wurche, The Hundred Wells of Salaga offers a remarkable view of slavery and how the scramble for Africa affected the lives of everyday people.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Africa, Ghana, African Literature, Historical, International

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2018

Reviews

[Reggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 231 page novel that holds enough ambition for a book twice it's size. The story of Wurche (one of the most complex and stellar protagonists I've read in 2018), and Aminah is one that you will remember for the evils that can be inflicted from within a nation, as well as those from an outsider who happens to be playing nice.

Ayesha Harruna Attah's backlog is a priority.

[Darkowaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!! full review - https://africanbookaddict.com/2018/09...

4.5 stars, but rounding up to 5 stars.
Ayesha H. Attah has grown soooo much as a writer and 'The Hundred Wells of Salaga' is proof of her wonderful growth....


full review on book blog - https://africanbookaddict.com/2018/09...

[Giulia · Rating 1 out of 5]

TW: abuse, violence, rape, slavery, suicide, racism, slut-shaming

Unpopular Opinion Time 🐸☕️

Actual rating: 1.5 ⭐️

Boy oh boy. Grab some sugar because this Rather Random Review™️ is gonna be salty AF and you'll have to balance all this out with some sweetness.

For as much as I appreciated the discussion around internal slavery, and I liked the fact that one of the two main characters was bi, I personally thought this book wasn't great.

Actually, I really hated this book, if I have to be completely honest.
So here I am. Dragging it.

Characters and Relationships:
So. Aminah and Wurche, eh? Man, these two were the definition of two-dimensional characters.
They were childish, their personality was not flashed out and their actions were irrational.
I get that they were teens but...I mean, the things they do are always dictated by some "strange force" that pushed them to do something. Bitch, where's the logic in all that? But what's worse is the fact that this "strange force" popped up during the most ridiculous scenarios - not even during the important scenes! For example, at one point, Aminah offers Moro to help him building a new hut and the narration basically goes "I don't know why I did it. A strange force possessed me". Mmmm...dude, you just offered your help, you didn't do anything groundbreaking 🙄 They sounded so childish because of that. Their reasonings were all based on emotions and love and that was just stupid.
And as I mentioned love. I mean, there are basically three (if not, arguably, four) love stories in this book and WOULD YOU BELIEVE that all four were based on insta-love?! Because I sure as fuck was not willing to believe my own two eyes.
All relationships are based on ONE single look and BOOM, they're in love. Yeah, no. I'm not about that life. There was absolutely no build-up. No tension. No will-they-won't-they. Everything was immediate and hallow.
You know what else was hallow? Well, my dear, the two main characters themselves. Yes.
Aminah is painfully naive and innocent. In the first chapter is mentioned that she'd love to sell shoes like her father and travel the world but...these interests are mentioned ONCE and then that's it? She has no quirks nor particularities that could strike the readers and make them think "well, Aminah sure is somebody special!" Nope. She's just beautiful. Oh so beautiful. And that's it.
Wurche is not innocent either. She keeps on saying that she'd love to be part of the political world but she knows absolutely nothing about anything. Zero, nada, il vuoto più assoluto, rien de rien. All the things she knows and mentions are told by other people and she just parrots them and shows off. She's impulsive and selfish. She does not participate in the world that she'd love to be a part of - the world of politics - and what is worse is that she doesn't even try to be. She just complains that people aren't letting her do the things she wants.
Both of them, I couldn't stand for the life of me 😩
All men are trash, tbh. Every single one of them but Dramani. Dramain was a small, innocent child that has to be protected. But that's it.

Also the familiar bounds were lacking. During the first chapters it feels like Aminah's family is incredibly important to her but the more the story goes forward, the more they become irrelevant and forgotten. Also, the story of the twins, the father and the mothers were too easily tied up with unsatisfactory and unclear endings that just left a bad taste in my mouth.

The plot and writing style:
Nothing much to say about these two aspects apart from the fact that I was not a fan.
The writing style felt completely disjointed and sometimes there were some immense gaps between two paragraphs that just didn't make sense. Or, even worse, you were happily reading about something, then OUT OF THE BLUE, another topic/scene/thought would pop up for three lines, and then BAM, back where we were before. For example, there's a scene in which Aminah is cooking and describing the food and then BAM, random thought about the caravans and then BAM, back to the cooking. It was just confusing and made the story not flow effortlessly. Quite the opposite. Keeping things straight was a challenge. And that's also because the writing style was too heavy on the descriptions. It felt like it was trying to be poetic and whimsical, but failed miserably.

The plot itself was also just a hot mess.
And that's because there are too many important topics that the author wanted to tackle. The final result is that nothing is approached or analysed properly and everything fell short.
It wanted to be a feminist book - through the characters of Aminah and Wurche and their (non existent) friendship - but it didn't deliver because the characters themselves were not feminists and didn't interact with each other not even for the lols.
It wanted to be a book about war and politics but it didn't deliver because these two topics were just barely mentioned and tackled.
It wanted to be a comment about slavery and how bad that is but it didn't deliver because it didn't bring anything new to the discussion.
It wanted to be a book about friendship and family but it didn't deliver because both were easily forgotten and brushed aside.

Basically, this book wanted to be lots of things, but got to be none.

And the ending felt ridiculously rushed and just underwhelming.
I am sorry if this is your favourite book and I dragged it through the mud and back. But I honestly really hated it. Appreciated the African setting, but that was literally the only thing I liked.

[BookOfCinz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second book by Ayesa Harran Attah and I am still amazed at her ability to write characters and plots that keeps your invested.

My first introduction to the author was in reading The Deep Blue Between which is a follow up to this book. Yes, I read the sequel before the first book and guess what… I didn’t die. Was a confused? A little.

Set during precolonial Ghana, in The Hundred Wells of Salaga we meet Aminah who lives with her family who she helps to provide for. One day her father leaves to go to Salaga and doesn’t return, Aminah while grieving her father must help with her siblings. One day the village is invaded and Aminah’s entire life as she knows it is changed completely.

Living in Salaga we meet Wurche, who is the daughter of a chief and her main goal is to be a strategist and adviser to her father. Wurche is strong willed but fines herself being married to a man she doesn’t know and having his son. With domestic and motherly duties being thrust on her, Wurche is bitter but does not know how to change her situation.

Aminah and Wurche ends up meeting under circumstances that question both of their morals. We journey with them through wars, towns, heart breaks as they figure out their space in Ghana.

This is a tiny book but it offers an in-depth look into the history of Ghana, the slave trade and how the lives of Ghanaian changed completely. There are some very heavy themes explored in this book. I loved how the author created characters you cannot help but want to see win.

A solid read.

[Dawnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i likes that this book showed the slave trades during the time when africa was being “colonized” (taken over!) by white europeans and how both changed the lives of africans.

the author doesn’t shy away from the actual horrors -beatings, rape, even just the trauma being ripped away from your home and dragged way to be sold- and even being owned by a nicer person doesn’t mean that it feels good be owned.

i did find the entire book a bit confusing since the writing style felt almost too young to be YA but then the brutal moments happen and make it very clear that it’s NOT a YA or middle grade book at all.

but for an adult book everything was too underdeveloped in my option. the characters where good but didn’t have any real depths and could have used more personality to make the reader actually connect and really feel with them.

and then there were the moments where the white people and the slave traders behaved as it they were from a different time. since it’s clear that a few people clearly knew that slave trade was disposable and shouldn’t be done and that taking land and people for no other reason then wanting too is also not okay.
and while i am sure that there were always people smart enough around to know those things... but i am also pretty sure that it wouldn’t have happened the way it was described in this book. especially during the time this book takes place in.


so all in all?
it’s a good book but it could have been better.

[Charlott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hundred Wells of Salaga is the story of Arminah and Wurche, two young women who grow up in vastly different circumstances in West Africa in the late 19th century and whose paths cross. The novel, which tackles topics such as slavery and politics in a way which is rarely covered, is beautifully written. Attah's language is ripe with metaphors and pictures and at the same time, she understands to tell a page-turner story. My only gripe with the book (something I rarely wish for): The book could have been 50-100 pages longer. Arminah and Wurche only meet quite late in the book and I would have loved to spend more time with them together. But all in all, I really liked this book.

Some consider the following a spoiler, I do not, but be warned: Funnily enough, I first planned to push this book to July to finish some of the #pridemonth "appropriate" reads, but then I could not ignore the call. And surprise: Wurche is not only a very captivating character in general but she actually is also a queer character who desires women and men (it is a theme throughout the book but nothing really in the focus or overtly plot-relevant).

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated Attah’s novel for its period details on the lives of the Gonja and Hausa tribes: descriptions of maasa and tuo, design of household spaces, influence of Islam, and inter-tribal politics. This is not a culture / time / place you get many chances to read about! But then... the majority of characters fell flat. Even one of Attah’s protagonists changes little over the course of the story, driven headlong by her own desires into scandal after disaster with little to no personal reflection achieved by the end. The male hero is a supposedly angel-hearted slave driver. Wurche, her brother, the random German soldier buddy all deliver highly progressive reflections on their roles amidst Ghana’s colonization / as men & women in traditional societies, which are too straightforward to be seen as truly coming from the characters. Aminah was best-rendered, but her “destiny” turns out cliche and unsatisfying. The title doesn’t even have broader significance! This book was an interesting read, but I can’t say I’d recommend this story.

[johnny ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

in post-colonial ghana, aminah and wurche live two very different lives. salaga has one hundred wells to wash the slaves that were taken from their homes and brought to the market. salaga was built on the internal slave trade. wurche, daughter of a chief, wants nothing more than to lead her father's war. she is rushed into a marriage, and finds that she has little ability to control the power hungry men and their bloody desires. aminah lives on a farm with her family until raiders come and kidnap her and one of her sisters. she is sold into slavery. her master lies to the inspectors (having slaves will lead to a hefty fine, as it is outlawed) and tells them that aminah is a niece, a daughter, a cousin. aminah must keep her mouth shut and endure the violence. fate brings aminah and wurche together. yes, wurche owns aminah as a slave. yet, the two women bond through love, children, loss, grief, and war.

this is a heavily researched novel, one of a kind. ayesha harruna attah learned that her great-great-grandmother was enslaved and ended up in the salaga slave market and that was her initial inspiration for this novel. she writes in a way that is devastating and, at times, soft spoken. she captures aminah and wurche in an excellent way, highlighting their socioeconomic differences, status differences, and differing religious beliefs very well. wurche is still a likable woman, even though she is complicit in the slave trade and owns aminah. all aminah wishes for is her freedom.

it is a bit difficult to start reading, but once you get into it, you will be captivated and unable to put it down. this is a great novel.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in late nineteenth century Gold Coast, two women are at the heart of this novel – Aminah and Wurche. As the story opens, Aminah is living in a small village on a trading route. Her life is shattered when she and her siblings are captured by slave traders. They destroy her village and transport her to the south. In Salaga, Wurche is a princess of the Gonja people. She is disappointed that she is expected to enter an arranged marriage rather than play a role in tribal politics like her father and brothers. These two storylines eventually converge. Key elements include the slave trade, rival factions seeking the throne of Salaga, and colonial rule being contended among France, Germany, and Great Britain.

This is historical fiction based real events that occurred in what is now Ghana just prior to becoming a British colony. The author is Ghanaian. Even though slave trading had been outlawed, Salaga's slave market was still operational. The hundred wells of the title pertain to the places where washing of slaves took place before being sold. Unlike many older novels, the story is told from the African perspective. For me, this historical viewpoint is the main attraction, and the two storylines illustrate the slaving practiced in the region at the time. The stories of the two strong female protagonists are interesting, especially once they start interacting. It spurred me to look up more about the history of Ghana, which is always a good sign.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayesha Haruna Attah’s The Hundred Wells of Salaga was a story of the African slave trade in Ghana told from the perspective of one woman stolen into slavery and another who, as a royal, both participated in and also benefited from this horror. This book was written with a mind to complex characters and the vagaries of being a kind and complete person in some ways, while also participating in one of the great degradations of human history. I think that this book is an important read for so many reasons, but there was also something missing. For a novel that was largely a character study, this book was somewhat sparse. It was short at 230 odd pages, and so, it was hard to fully flesh out the characters, or to fully understand their motivations and inner workings. The brevity of the work also had major events happening into the final pages - the book did not slowly wrap itself up, it came to a screeching halt, and consequently so many things were left unresolved. A history that is important, and a place and time that is sorely underrepresented in international literature, this book was a good read, and one I would recommend, I hope that what comes next from the author has more bulk and more depth, I liked this story and these characters enough that I would have so happily gone there.

[Zsofi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of two young women coming form very different lives set in pre-colonial Ghana. Aminah is taken from her home and forced to slavery. Once a daydreamer, she becomes a resilient woman after all the hardships she has to endure. Slavery brings her to Wurche, a headstrong and independent princess, who wants to make a difference in her father’s court.

I found it fascinating to learn a little about the conflicts between different tribes, and western influence in Ghana. The story is interesting, but is seems flat a lot of times. There is not much character development, the friendship of the two women is not portrayed enough, and the characters besides the women are flat. It has the potential of a longer book, it ends abruptly in a cliche.

Overall it is and interesting albeit sad story, that is enjoyable, but has the potential to be better.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a 3.5 read for me
thoughts coming shortly

[Mbali (flowahh_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just realised that I never shared this review, so here we go ✨
____

Every now and then you read a book that reminds you why you like a certain genre - reading The Hundred Wells of Salaga reminded me why I don’t think I’ll ever not like historical fiction 🥹.

Set in pre-colonial times, we see a tale of two Ghanas through Wurche & Aminah’s perspective - women who experience vastly different fates, but have their paths cross. What we see is a tackling of slavery and politics that hints at the beginning stages colonialism but also clearly depicts the internal happenings within Ghana - from shifts in political order, rebellion and internal slavery to explorations of love, sexuality and domestic violence. Attah handles so many complex ideas in such a way that blows my mind because I was pleasantly surprised that she didn’t make a mess out of it - especially considering how “short” the book is.

Reading this took me by surprise because I didn’t expect how difficult it would be putting it down 🥹 (I ended up binge reading it 🤭) - what a lovely experience 💛

[Buchfreude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayesha Harruna Attah erzählt in ihrem Roman „Die Frauen von Salaga“ die Geschichte zweier Frauen, die sich in Westafrika kennenlernen. Der Grund ihres Kennenlernens ist die Sklaverei. Aminah wurde von einer Gruppe Sklavenhändler gefangen genommen und als Sklavin veräußert. Dabei durchlebt sie mehrere unterschiedliche Etappen, bis sie an die reiche und mächtige Wurche gelangt, die sie kauft. Obwohl Wurche die Mittel und Wege hat, scheinbar frei zu handeln, ist sie fast genauso unfrei wie Aminah. Sie muss sich den Machtgefügen innerhalb der Herrscherfamilien beugen und wird mit einem Mann verheiratet, der die Position ihres Vaters stärkt.

Die Autorin beschreibt die Zeit während des Kolonialismus und zeigt die Auswirkungen auf die Gesellschaft. Dabei sind die persönlichen Schicksale der Protagonistinnen im Vordergrund. Die Gefühle und aktuelle Situation werden thematisiert und gibt den Lesenden ein Verständnis für die innere Empfindung der Figuren. Die Kapitel wechseln zwischen der Sicht von Wurche und Aminah. Durch die Verwendung einer Erzählinstanz wird eine gewisse Distanz beim Lesen bewahrt. Dadurch sind die harten Erlebnisse der Figuren leichter zu verarbeiten. Im angehängten Interview sagt Attah, dass sie sich bei der Figur Aminah an ihre Vorfahrin orientierte, da diese innerhalb der Familie nur als „Sklavin“ bezeichnet wurde. Demnach verarbeitet Attah ein Teil ihrer eigenen Familiengeschichte.

Auch die deutsche Kolonialgeschichte wird erwähnt, leider nur verhältnismäßig wenig. Da in Deutschland dieser Teil der Geschichte in meiner Schulzeit komplett ausgelassen wurde, finde ich es umso wichtiger, jetzt selbst mehr darüber zu erfahren. Ich würde nicht sagen, dass Attahs Roman darüber sehr aufklärend ist, aber immerhin wird es deutlich, dass Deutschland aktiv am Kolonialismus beteiligt war.

Ayesha Harruna Attah schreibt über den Kolonialismus, aber stellt die Figuren in den Vordergrund. Dabei wird die Geschichte aufgearbeitet und Stück für Stück ermächtigt. Ein fesselnder Roman über zwei Frauen, die sich in einer Welt herumschlagen müssen, die sie gefangen hält und in der sie sich selbst befreien müssen.

[Kostenloses Rezensionsexemplar]

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful and poignant book about a time and place most of us don't know. There is so much history and human emotion packed into its short 250 pages with vibrant themes of love, forgiveness, justice, and redemption.

Written by Ayesha Harruna Attah, this is the story of two girls in precolonial Ghana at the end of the 19th century.

• Wurche is royalty, the feisty, independent daughter of a tribal chief, who is frustrated by the restrictive and subservient duties that are the plight of all women in her society. When she is forced to marry a dominating, difficult man whom she doesn't love to enact a political alliance for the tribe, she swallows her pride but finds relief in the arms of another man. Wurche eventually must face the brutal facts that her family has financially and politically benefited from the slave trade in which they participate.

• Aminah lives in a remote village with her extended and loving family. As he always does, her father leaves them for a few months every year to sell the shoes and boots he makes, but one year he doesn't return. Rumor has it that Africans are being kidnapped and sold as slaves, many of whom are transported across "the big water" that has no end. And they are never seen again. Two years later, slave raiders invade Aminah's small village, kidnapping the villagers and burning everything to the ground. Aminah's life instantly changes as she is bought and sold several times and loses all contact with her family.

The book's chapters alternate between each of the young women as they tell their stories, eventually merging together after they meet in Salaga, a notorious slave-trading town that boasts 100 wells used to wash the slaves before they are sold. As both Wurche and Aminah grow up, we follow them as they learn resilience and fortitude in such complicated situations.

This is an introspective and perceptive novel about a notorious part of the past with a bittersweet ending that is both tragic and hopeful.

Note: At the beginning of the book, there is a handy list naming each of Wurche and Aminah's family and friends. Bookmark it! There is no Kindle X-ray feature for this novel, making this list even more important.

[Hermela G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives of Wurche and Aminah and seeing how their past experiences shaped the life they shared together. I would’ve liked to see Attah incorporate more historical context around the time in which this book was set.

[Jerome Kuseh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read too many novels set in the colonial Ghana era. Even fewer which explore the intricacies of politics within the various kingdoms. Fewer still that explore slavery. And much rarer is one that discusses the conflict between competing colonial powers and the impact on the homegrown power struggles.

The hundred wells of Salaga is thus one of the rarest forms of literature one can get their hands on. A story that follows two very different women - Aminah and Wurche - as they navigate through the dangerous world of the fractured Gonja kingdom during the late 19th century.

There’s the internecine conflict edged on by the British, Germans, and slave raiders. There’s the vivid description of trade routes, life in a chieftains court, and life as a slave. There’s love and betrayal. There’s the societal expectation of womanhood and the rebellion against it.

In short, Ayesha has written one of the most humanizing novels of a colonial era people one would ever read. People who are people with all their flaws, biases, contradictions, desire for power, loyalty to their kin, knowledge of the corroding effects of colonialism yet willingness to use it to their own ends.

Unlike “Things Fall Apart” which covers a precolonial society which had just seen the coming of the Europeans, this novel explains how a people sought to maintain their way of life under the darkening cloud of colonialism. The best comparisons to it would be Frank Yerby’s “the Dahomean” or Cyprian Ekwensi’s “Burning Grass”.

I think I’ve written enough. 5 stars. Go and read it.

[Wyna Modisapodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m so conflicted about this book 🙇🏾‍♀️. I wanted to give it a higher rating , however , it lacked heft in that , it didn’t really explore in great detail the majority of its key themes e.g the role of the local tribes in slave trade , power struggle between the different local tribes , African feminism , Islam ☪️ vs. customary beliefs/gender...The complex relationship between the two main characters, i.e. Wurche and Aminah was also not dealt with deftly. The ending was just rushed and not impactful . However , all said and done , it is a good introductory to key historical events that can be explored in other literary works .

[Anja Sebunya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved how visual the writing is. It was more like watching a movie than reading a book. An enjoyable read.

[Gautam Bhatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ayesha Harruna Attah's The Hundred Wells of Salaga is the story of two women: Aminah, who grows up in the village of Botu, part of a little community that lives under the fear of slaver raids; and Wurche, the daughter of an ambitious local noble who has designs on the throne of Salaga. When Aminah's village is destroyed by raiders, she is forced away from her home and her society, and into a long journey that will take her to Salaga, city of a hundred wells. There, her life will intersect with Wurche, who is seeking for a way out of a loveless marriage, forced upon her for political reasons. But soon, something bigger than itinerant slave raids and the internal politics of Salaga will come to shape the women's lives: the looming inevitability of colonialism.

The story of the Hundred Wells of Salaga - set in (what is now) Ghana, on the eve of colonial conquest - might feel a bit like a cross between Maryse Conde's Segu (Wurche's storyline) and Leonora Minamao's Season of the Shadow (Aminah's storyline). Indeed, the book does belong in a long traditions of novels set in societies on the verge of being torn apart by colonialism. But what makes The Hundred Wells of Salaga unique is its characters: the people who walk across the novel's stage are achingly, painfully human, both at their finest, and at their worst. To take just one example: looking for release from a brutal marriage with the Dagbon prince Adnan, Wurche finds it with a man called Moro. This would ideally make Moro a positive, sympathetic character - and from Wurche's perspective (at least in the beginning), he is; only, there's one problem: Moro's a slave trader (albeit one who takes no pleasure in the job). Wurche's act of rebellion - which would otherwise give the reader a sense of (perhaps unearned) catharsis - is thus laced with the constant, background awareness of Moro's active participation in an unimaginably brutal enterprise.

At the heart of the novel is undoubtedly Wurche herself, who has got to be one of the most memorable protagonists I've come across in recent times. Layered, complex, ambiguous, flawed; sometimes actor and sometimes acted upon; sometimes rebelling against oppression and sometimes being an oppressor; limited - like all of us - and struggling against those limits, sometimes with success but often unsuccessfully (again, like all of us), Wurche elevates this novel to an incandescent pitch. We feel deeply invested in her fate, even as her actions sometimes alienate and sometimes revolt.

Probably the novel's only unambiguously *good* character, Aminah is an excellent foil to Wurche. Her seeming passivity may give an initial impression of a character that is non-too-clearly fleshed out - but this would be a mistake. Lacking Wurche's privileges, Aminah cannot move through the world like an actor; her survival - and eventual freedom - depends on her flattening her personality, and becoming as unremarkable as it is possible to be. But even so, we see enough - a glimpse and a flash - to know that underneath the facade is a personality every bit as full as that of Wurche's.

Around the two women, there is a galaxy of memorable characters who leave an impression, no matter how short, or how walk-on, their roles are: the fathers, who allow their daughters freedom - until it becomes politic to deny it; the brother who would rather farm than fight; the German soldier who is aware of his country's crimes, but is complicit nonetheless because the alternative is too difficult to contemplate; Moro, who is similarly aware of the slave trade's awfulness, but complicit for the same reasons; we get sympathetic - yet unsparing - portraits of each of these characters. Nothing is excused, and nothing is justified - but there is an *understanding* of what they do what they do, a messy entanglement of institutional pressure and personal agency that leads human beings into deeper and deeper moral quicksand.

I finished the novel in two sitting - it would have been one, had life not intervened. From the first page, the book pulls you in, leaving you painfully, terrifyingly drawn into the fates of the characters, seeing the world through their eyes. A magnificent achievement.

[2TReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

-In Botu, Eeyah often talked about "licabili". It was the belief that whatever path you took in life, it would take you where it was supposed to take you.-
🌰🌰🌰🌰🌰
The lives of Aminah and Wurche collide as the existence of their respective village and territory are changed by intervening and battling forces. We get a glimpse of the power structure in the region and how power changed between the tribes and how the arrival of the 'white' man charted a new course in the political and economical relations in Salaga and the surrounding region.
🌰🌰🌰🌰🌰
I loved that with direct writing, Ayesha Harruna Attah, was able to convey the complexities of both women. They wanted to achieve more than what was expected or desired for women in that time; they were strong, intelligent, loving, protective, hungry.
Wurche chafed at what was deemed appropriate for her because of her station; while Aminah longed to establish herself, crafting items as she desires.
🌰🌰🌰🌰🌰
After having her freedom taken by slavers, Aminah fears that she will never attain her dreams and a life of her own, but when she is bought by Wurche, they form a bond that over time sees both women finally standing on the path that led them to their licabili.
🌰🌰🌰🌰🌰

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Historical fiction, set in pre-colonial Ghana, the novel explores the time period by telling the story of two young women - Aminah and Wurche. Aminah has been captured by slave raiders and sold into slavery, Wurche is the daughter of a chief, pushed into a marriage she doesn't want in order to cement an alliance. I enjoyed the storytelling and the characters here. Going into the novel, I knew very little about the history of Ghana and this time period and I appreciated the way the author used Aminah to explore the impact of the politics and colonialism on everyday people and the way that Wurche gave insight into the conflict between the different peoples of Ghana. I did feel the ending was rushed a bit, but I still really enjoyed the reading experience.

[histeriker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr schnell gelesen und die Geschichte fand ich interessant. Es hat mir geholfen, wieder man neue Welten zu entdecken, auch wenn es nicht so spannend war, wie andere Bücher, die ich schon gelesen habe. Trotzdem fand ich es gut, etwas über die Geschichte Ghanas zu erfahren, es war ganz angenehm auf dieser Weise. DIe zwei Protagonistinnen waren mir am Anfang etwas zu kühl und konnte keine Verbindung zu ihnen aufbauen. Das hat sich mit der Zeit gebessert, aber trotzdem fand ich, dass ich mehr ein Beobachter als ein Mitfühlender war.
Eine Buch, das ich empfehlen kann.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Met De honderd waterputten van Salaga voert Ayesha Harruna Attah de lezer mee naar pre-koloniaal Ghana. Twee heel verschillende jonge vrouwen, Aminah en Wurche, spelen de hoofdrol in deze ontroerende historische roman. In Salaga, een bruisende stad in het noorden van Ghana, befaamd vanwege de honderd putten die er zijn aangelegd om de slaven te wassen voor ze worden verkocht, kruisen de paden van deze twee jonge vrouwen elkaar. Wat volgt is een bijzonder verhaal over macht, vriendschap en verraad.

Ayesha Harruna Attah laat de hoofdstukken over Aminah en Wurche elkaar afwisselen. Zo kan de lezer zich verplaatsen in zowel de rijke slavenhandelaarsfamilie van Wurche, als in het eenvoudige leven van Aminah. Wanneer Aminah als slaaf verkocht wordt, komen beide perspectieven lijnrecht tegenover elkaar te staan. De auteur blijft echter zonder oordeel en toont aan dat beide vrouwen er het beste van maken. Allebei proberen ze te overleven in een wereld vol wetten en regels, opgelegd door mannen.

Ook qua karakter verschillen Aminah en Wurche van elkaar. Aminah is introvert en gehoorzaam, terwijl Wurche zelfverzekerd en ambitieus is. Maar, hoewel De waterputten van Salaga een heftig boek is, blijven de personages behoorlijk gelaten onder de gruwelen die ze doormaken. Hierdoor voelen zowel Aminah als Wurche op sommige momenten wat emotieloos.

Mijn complete recensie lees je op boekvinder.be.

[Granny Sebestyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Les cent puits de Salaga" d'Ayesha Harruna Attah (256p)
Ed. Gaïa
Bonjour les fous de lectures....
Livre lu dans le cadre du défi " Je noirci mon planisphère". Découverte d'une autrice ghanéenne.
Quelques mots sur l'autrice:
Ayesha a grandi au Ghana.
Elle écrit dans différents magazines et anthologies.
Ses romans ont été publiés en anglais et néerlandais.
Ce livre est le premier traduit en français.
Ghana, fin du XVIII° siècle.
L'esclavage a encore cours dans le pays qui de plus commence à être soumis à la colonisation européenne.
C'est l'histoire de deux jeunes filles que tout oppose: Wurche est princesse, Aminah une paysanne vendue sur le marché aux esclaves.
Toutes deux vont tomber sous le joug d’une privation de liberté, Wurche par le mariage, Aminah par sa condition d’esclave.
Et puis il y a Moro, le marchand d'esclaves à la peau tellement noire qu'elle en est bleue.
Moro qui est le trait d'union entre ces deux femmes éprises de liberté.
Cette histoire est une histoire familiale, en effet, la romancière s'est inspirée de la vie de sa trisaïeule vendue sur le marché aux esclaves de Salaga.
Histoire d'une tribu indissociable de la vie du pays.
Joli roman choral qui se lit comme une aventure tout en nous en apprenant beaucoup sur la condition des exclaves en Afrique à cette époque ainsi que sur les rivalités et traditions tribales.
Petit bémol, écriture parfois confuse dans l'explication des conflits et tensions qui règnent au sein des tribus ou avec les européens.
Dommage, il aurait peut-être fallu développer un peu plus

[Caroline]

Giving up fifty pages in. Interesting topic, Lots of information, but the writing is weak.

[Coded Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my review on Instagram @codedreader
http://bit.ly/HundredWells

[Oyinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 89 of 2021

3.5 ✨

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Die Frauen von Salaga“ habe ich mir aufgrund der Inhaltsangabe ehrlich gesagt völlig anders vorgestellt. Meiner Meinung nach ist das wieder einmal ein Beispiel dafür, wie Verlage ihre (potentiellen) Kunden an der Nase herumführen. Und ich finde das nicht witzig und ich habe vor allem überhaupt kein Verständnis dafür. Es nützt den Autor*innen herzlich wenig, wenn die Verlage mit den Klappentexten/Inhaltsangaben Erwartungen schüren, die hinterher nicht erfüllt werden. Vor allem wird es weder den angepriesenen Büchern noch den Autor*innen gerecht. Die Enttäuschung vieler Leser*innen ist bei diesem Vorgehen vorprogrammiert. Lesen diejenigen, die die Klappentexte schreiben, überhaupt die Bücher?

Genug lamentiert, es soll schließlich um „Die Frauen von Salaga“ und nicht etwa mäßige bis schlechte Verlagsarbeit gehen.

„Die Frauen von Salaga“ erzählt die Geschichten von Aminah und Wurche. Aminahs Schicksal nimmt seine Lauf, als ihr Vater sich mal wieder mit einer Karawane auf den Weg macht, um Stiefel zu verkaufen, aber nicht zurückkehrt. Schlimmer noch: Eines Tages ziehen Räuber durch das Dorf und brennen es nieder, nachdem sie die Menschen gefangen genommen haben, um sie als Sklaven zu verkaufen – darunter Aminah und ihre Geschwister. Der Leidensweg beginnt. Derweil wird Wurche, ihres Zeichens Königstochter, aus politisch-strategischen Gründen mit Adnan verheiratet, obwohl sie bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt davon ausging, sich ihren Mann selbst aussuchen zu können.

Das Zusammentreffen beider Frauen, das ich wegen des Klappentextes permanent erwartete, findet letztlich erst im letzten Drittel des Buches statt. Davor lernen wir über die Lebenswege der beiden Frauen ein wenig über die gesellschaftlichen und politischen Verhältnisse Ghanas des 19. Jahrhunderts kennen. Was mir sehr gefallen hat, ist die Tatsache, dass ich nie das Gefühl hatte, dass Ayesha Harrunah Attah dieses Buch für Europäer geschrieben hat. Sie reißt viele Themen nur an und setzt ganz offensichtlich Hintergrundwissen zur Geschichte des Landes voraus. Sie richtet sich an ihre Landsleute, nicht an potentielle Leser*innen jenseits von Afrika. Dadurch hat für mich das Buch an Authentizität gewonnen.

Es sind Kleinigkeiten wie die Mahlzeiten, die nicht bis ins letzte Detail beschrieben werden, aber eben auch die verschiedenen Begriffe wie „Clans“, „Stämme“ etc., die sie nicht näher erläutert, weil sie davon ausgeht, dass die Leser wissen, was sie meint, die in mir den Eindruck erweckt haben, dass sie primär für ein Publikum geschrieben hat, das das nötige Hintergrundwissen hat. Das hat mir ganz ehrlich sehr gut gefallen. Wer mehr wissen möchte, kann sich andere Bücher über Ghana und/oder Afrika kaufen. Dies ist ein Roman, kein Sachbuch, auch wenn Ayesha Harruna Attha einen sehr sachlichen Schreibstil verwendet. Die Sätze sind knapp – trotzdem verwendet sie eine sehr bildhafte Sprache.

Das Wesentliche ist aber der jeweilige Weg von Aminah und Wurche. Für mich waren sie ein bisschen wie Yin und Yang – Gegensätze, die sich anziehen. In gewisser Weise sind sie das genaue Gegenteil voneinander und ergänzen sich doch gut. Und so wie ihr Lebensweg bis zu ihrem Treffen – und auch danach – total gegensätzlich ist, so sind das ihre Charaktere und ihr Äußeres. Anders als es der Klappentext suggeriert, ist es nicht so, dass Wurche und Aminah sich quasi besprechen, für ihre Freiheit zu kämpfen. Es ergibt sich mehr aus ihrer Situation. Und dieser Kampf wird auch nicht nach Absprache und gemeinsam geführt, sondern die Frauen führen ihn jeder für sich. Sie treffen nur zufällig aufeinander und verbringen als Sklavin und Herrin einige Jahre miteinander, ehe sich ihre Lebenswege wieder trennen.

Aber: Beide Frauen sind auf ihre Weise stark. Sie erleiden viel – bei Aminah ist das für uns Leser*innen vielleicht leichter nachzuvollziehen, aber auch Wurche muss einiges ertragen. Und doch zerbrechen sie nicht, sondern finden ihren Weg. Am Ende bleibt die Hoffnung.

Das Buch ist wie das Leben – am Ende des Romans bleiben viele lose Fäden, nicht alles wird aufgeklärt. Auch hier bleibt sich Ayesha Harruna Attah ihrem Stil treu.

„Die Frauen von Salaga“ ist ein unterhaltsamer, teilweise spannender, vor allem aber interessanter Roman, der für viele Leser*innen sicher gewöhnungsbedürftig ist (schon allein wegen der Namen), aber letztlich eine tolle Geschichte erzählt.

[Tinstamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sehr selten finde ich Lektüre aus Afrika - nicht nur als Schauplatz, sondern vorallem Autoren dieses Kontinentes. Mit "Die Frauen aus Salaga" habe ich mich nach Westafrika, dem heutigen Ghana, begeben. Dort begleiten wir Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts zwei Frauen unterschiedlicher Herkunft.
Aminah ist ein junges Mädchen aus dem Dorf Botu, welches sich im Landesinneren befindet. Sie gehört zum Volk der Guma. Die Menschen in dieser Gegend sind von den Karawanen abhängig, mit denen sie handeln um ihren Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen. Ihr Vater ist Schuster und Aminah möchte später ebenfalls das Schusterhandwerk erlernen. Doch eines Tages wird das Dorf von Sklavenhändlern überfallen. Die ganze Familie wird getötet oder versklavt, wie auch der Rest des Dorfes.
Wurche hingegen ist die Tochter eines Stammesführers, die in einer Siedlung in Salaga-Kpembe, nahe der Goldküste lebt und deren Reichtum durch den Sklavenhandel gestärkt wird. Sie gehört zum Volk der Gonja. Wurche liebt es zu reiten und zu schießen. Sie ist eine eigenwillige Frau und möchte selbst einmal Mitspracherecht bei ihrem Volk erreichen und ist ihrer Zeit weit voraus. Doch sie muss sich ihrem Vater beugen und Adnan vom Volk der Dogma heiraten, den sie verabscheut.

Die Geschichten der beiden Frauen wird abwechselnd erzählt, wobei ich bei Aminah immer lieber verweilte. Ihr Schicksal fand ich interessanter und sie war eine sehr sympathische Protagonistin. Zu Wurche fand ich erst spät Zugang. Sie wirkte auf mich überheblich und arrogant. Leider fand jedoch in der Geschichte keine große Charakterentwicklung der beiden Frauen statt, obwohl sich beide nichts sehnlicher wünschen, als die eigene Freiheit und ihr Leben selbst in die Hand zu nehmen. Die Freundschaft der beiden Frauen, die erst sehr spät in der Geschichte aufeinandertreffen, erschien mir nicht wirklich vorhanden. Allerdings verlieben sie sich in denselben Mann. Eine Liebesgeschichte, wie es der Klappentext verheißt, gibt es trotzdem nicht bzw. nur am Rande. Ich fand es schade, dass Aminah und Wurche erst sehr spät aufeinander treffen. Ich hätte gerne mehr Zeit mit Beiden gemeinsam verbracht.

Die Autorin beschreibt das Leben von Aminah und Wurche sehr detailliert. Sie brachte mir diese fremde Kultur näher. Die Beschreibung der Behausungen, der Kleidung und dem Essen, der Einfluss des Islams (Viel-Ehe) und die Landschaft wurden sehr bildhaft dargestellt. Die Konflikte zwischen den einzelnen Stämmen und in weiterer Folge mit den Deutschen, Engländern und Franzosen, sind sehr aufschlussreich beschrieben.
Der Roman greift vorallem die Themen der Sklaverei und der Frauenrechte auf. Die Politik dieser Zeit spielt ebenfalls eine große Rolle. Es war die Zeit, als die Deutschen und die Engländer versuchten in Afrika Fuß zu fassen und Allianzen zu schließen, die jedoch alles andere als stabil waren. Aber auch die Vorherrschaft der Ashanti wurde von den anderen Stämmen nicht gerne gesehen. Die Verteilung und das Auf und Ab der einzelnen Mächte wird sehr gut aufgezeigt.

Schreibstil:
Ayesha Harruna Attah schreibt einerseits sehr distanziert und dann wieder detailverliebt. Abwechselnd erzählt die Autorin aus der Sicht von Aminah und Wurche.
Die vielen für uns fremd klingenden Namen lassen sich zu Beginn schwer lesen und zuordnen. Auch ein Glossar mit der Erklärung der afrikanischen Bräuche und Gerichte, wäre hilfreich gewesen.

Fazit:
Die Autorin entführt uns Europäer mit dieser Geschichte in eine fremde Welt und zwar in das Westafrika Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts. Obwohl mich der Roman nicht ganz überzeugen konnte, bleibt er mir sicherlich alleine wegen des Settings und den liebevollen Beschreibungen der Menschen und ihren Bräuchen, der Landschaft, den unterschiedlichen Machtverhältnissen in der Familie, als auch in der Politik dieser Zeit, in Erinnerung. Eine Geschichte über zwei Frauen, die beide ein unabhängiges Leben in Freiheit führen möchten.