Irene Tinker: Crossing Centuries

Irene Tinker's Crossing Centuries recaptures a pivotal moment, circa 1953, when East Africa was on the road to independence. It dramatizes both how far new nations have come since then and how burdened they remain by ghosts of the past. Her book contains useful history, rigorous political science, and fascinating ethnography, all enhanced by the added dimension of a woman’s perspective. But, above all, this is a good story, in the tradition of great African travelogues from James Conrad and Graham Greene to Paul Theroux. Crossing Centuries will warm the hearts of old Africa hands and seize the imagination of readers new to what used to be called the Dark Continent.