Elenore Smith Bowen (1922–2002)

This novel was a thinly disguised autobiographical tale of one highly regarded, Caucasian, female anthropologist's time living with a West African tribe. Elenore Smith Bowen is the nom de plume of Laura Bohannon. She was not certain as to how her choice to write a novel would go over amongst her professional peers, so practiced a bit of subterfuge. She describes the protagonist's awkward and complex immersion in the tribe, the profoundly transformative experience of truly coming to understand another culture's belief system, and the ultimate understanding of how her tribe finds joy amidst struggle. Great detail let's the reader truly get a glimpse into the complexity of the transformation. Fascinating to the end.… (más)