That's About Africa

From Pasta to Pigfoot - Frances Mensah Williams

Published May, 2015, "From Pasta to Pigfoot is a contemporary, multi-cultural novel that tells the story of Faye Bonsu, a pasta-loving, underachieving PA whose upbringing in leafy Hampstead, London has given her little opportunity to understand her African heritage.

Her less than successful attempts to be seen as more than a cultural lightweight take Faye on a journey back to her native Ghana, where she finds love, culture galore and the confidence to fulfill her potential.

From Pasta to Pigfoot explores in a light-hearted way the clash of cultures that has become characteristic of our increasingly multicultural society, and is familiar to those who have first-hand experience of straddling two worlds. Faye's visit to Ghana is a refreshing exploration of another side of Africa, depicting successful, urban middle class professionals navigating the challenges between traditional and contemporary Africa."

~Courtesy: Jacaranda Publishers.

____________________________________________________________________________________

About the Author: "Frances Mensah Williams is the Chief Executive of Interims for Development Ltd. and the Publisher of ReConnectAfrica.com, a careers and business website and online publication for African professionals in the Diaspora with over 35,000 subscribers.

Frances was born in Ghana. As a child her family travelled extensively due to her father's career in marine law, living in numerous countries including the USA and Vienna before moving to the UK at the age of six. She now lives in Hendon with her family. After graduating at the University of Reading, she pursued career in Human Resources Management, Training and Consultancy, which spanned the UK and Africa.

Frances is the author of the non-fiction titles Everyday Heroes - Learning from the Careers of Successful Black Professionals and I Want to Work in Africa: How to Move Your Career to the World's Most Exciting Continent. She is the recipient of several awards and, in 2011, was nominated as one of the Top 20 Inspirational Females from the Africa Diaspora in Europe"

~Courtesy: Jacaranda Publishers

____________________________________________________________________________________

Yes, yes, Frances Mensah Williams is not at all a newcomer in the world of literature, and she is certainly not unknown. Her story "From Pasta to Pigfoot" is highlighted (summarized) here for the same reasons every other story here is summarized- so that you, dear wattpad reader/writer will know of it, and get yourself a copy.

That being said, here's what we think of the book:

"AWESOME!"

Why?

Think of it this way: here's a book, about a female protagonist (Faye) - and wattpad loves female protagonists; that much we can say - who, like most females her age, has a relationship with this Michael character (who many would refer to as a fraud) and afterwards has a love interest in Rocky (a relationship which a reviewer on Amazon termed "romantic, slow burn"), and is facing cultural identity crisis because she was brought up in a place that at a certain time of her life, didn't really feel like home anymore. She leaves the pasta of Hampstead, London, and has to welcome the pigfoot of Ghana.

So.....what, then?

So, don't you get it!? This is a well-written, easy read that is a fantastic (and truly enlightening) adventure to Ghana, and indeed, into what it means to feel lost in a place that everyone expects to bring you comfort, only to "find yourself" in a place where the "comfort level" is much lower than standard. It's message is simple- don't be deterred from finding yourself!

And, again, we'll re-emphasize- it's chick lit!!!

And an adventure told with very vivid scenery.

It's a fun read.

So, pick it up (it's on amazon), read it, tell us what you think.

And if you've read it already, still tell us what you think.

If you have any stories from/about Africa (which you consider relatively unknown) you'd want us to summarize here for you, tell us in the comments section.

Have a good time reading guys!

~Meet Africa Team