Parallel Worlds: An Anthropologist and a Writer Encounter Africa

by Alma Gottlieb, Philip Graham

This suspenseful and moving memoir of Africa recounts the experiences of Alma Gottlieb, an anthropologist, and Philip Graham, a fiction writer, as they lived in two remote villages in the rain forest of Cote d'Ivoire. With an unusual coupling of first-person narratives, their alternate voices tell a story imbued with sweeping narrative power, humility, and gentle humor. Parallel Worlds is a unique look at Africa, anthropological fieldwork, and the artistic process.

"A remarkable look at a remote society [and] an engaging memoir that testifies to a loving partnership . . . compelling."—James Idema, Chicago Tribune

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel, Sociology

343 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 1993

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by two well-published authors in an unfamiliar genre, Parallel Worlds, is the story of a married couple who live in Cote d'Ivoire for just shy of two years in the early 1980’s while the anthropologist wife, Alma, conducts ethnographic research on the yet unstudied Beng people while husband Phillip follows his wife on her dream while trying to maintain his practice as a writer of literary fiction. Each chapter covers the time span of one to two months with sections organized around events or concepts authored alternatingly between Graham and Gottlieb. The narrative while banal in some regards captures readers interest by holding unknown whether the tribe will actually accept Gottlieb as a legitimate and safe person to entrust with their culture and because the differences between American and Beng culture are fascinating and told, usually, without judgement.
Because it is a narrative and not one of the many books Gottlieb wrote anthropologically about the Beng, there was unfortunately a gap in details and summary information that was at times quite distracting from the over-arching narrative. While the decision to remain in the story was a good one, the addition of more exposition, reflection, and/or summary would have brought greater cohesion to the reader experience. Again, because they were probably trying to veer from the anthropological work, they sometimes neglected to include details about general layouts of compounds, villages, access to water and electricity, frequency of their travels. When a detail was then thrown in as part of a story, not knowing these details jarred out of the story. That notwithstanding, I deeply enjoyed the book and their willingness to lay plain even their failings and short-sightedness about their time in Bengland.

[Stephen Kirbach]

The authors travel to the interior of Cote d'Ivoire and live with the Beng people.

Wife and husband, Alma Gottlieb is an anthropologist, and Philip Graham is a fiction writer. This book is a co-written account of how Gottlieb and Graham adapt to the Beng culture while the Beng people likewise adapt to this unexpected intrusion of two US citizens. Interestingly, Graham’s account turns into an anthropological study of his wife’s efforts to implement her plan despite community and individual resistance and inevitable cultural misunderstandings. At the same time, Graham writes of his own frustration with the US approach to the “Iran/Hostage Crisis” while simultaneously struggling to continue his own writing practice in the face of constant public scrutiny. The POV remains, of course, distanced and limited to the author’s backgrounds and language barriers. The reader experiences this world through senses trained by the US educational and cultural practices. A fascinating account from the Beng POV is obviously lacking. The authors nonetheless strive mightily to represent equitably all sides despite deep cultural and communicative disparities.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the limitations of anthropology and anthropologists, this book was very interesting. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in West Africa or planning a trip there. An anthropologist and her writer husband both write their perspectives about moving into and living in a remote village in Cote d'Ivoire. It is easy to imagine oneself trying to blend in to a culture so different from one's own, trying to make friends across those differences (but can you, given your privilege, difference, and the fact that you are an anthropologist?). Think: your Peace Corps fantasy in glorious detail.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these books backwards - first Braided World and then Parallel Worlds. I should have read this one first! I learned a lot about Africa, particularly the Beng people in Cote d'Ivoire, but what I really learned is less tangible. It's just a general sense - and it's a sense - not a complete feeling - that each culture thinks their culture is the superior culture. I'm amazed at the author's abilities to completely immerse themselves in the culture, nonjudgmentally. I would not have been able to do that. I wish I could. I have a greater desire to explore the rest of the world now.

[KD · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the premise of this book -- an anthropologist and her partner collaborating to write about their experience during her fieldwork -- more than the book itself. I found the writing style dry and the two authors' voices insufficiently distinct from one another. I stopped reading about 100 pages in.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, not as dry as most anthropological studies. Alma Gottlieb and her husband, an author, both went and lived with the Beng tribe. Both contributed to the book, so along with Alma's anthropological data you get Phillip's narrative style.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthropologist and her fiction-writing husband chronicle their stay in a Beng village in the Ivory Coast. They struggle to be accepted and to understand the culture and religion of these people. They are changed more profoundly than they realize.

[ECG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like books that give multiple perspectives. This book was written by a couple who lived with a Beng tribe. It was a very interesting culture to read about from the perspective of an anthropologist and just a normal person along for the ride.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly an ethnography... more like a travel guide!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather universalistic, but still interesting. (Hist 295B- Univ Freshman)

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read. Lots of humor and adventures as we come to love the different characters.

[Remington Krueger · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as ethnographies go, this one is brilliant.

[Zimmerman5678 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about an Anthropologist and a fiction writer who go to a remote village in the rain forest of Cote d'lvoire in Africa to live with the Beng people.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had Phil as a teacher and his stories were always fascinating about his time in Africa...interesting to read more (got to meet his wife, Alma, during the class that I read this book for).