In her introduction to African Love Stories, Ama Ata Aidoo writes “Africa, like all other regions of this earth, has been and is full of great love stories.” And believe me this collection of 21 short stories is full of them - heart-breaking and heart-warming.
Along with a wonderful introduction written by Ama Ata Aidoo, some of the amazing authors that contribute to this anthology include Chika Unigwe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Doreen Baingana, Helen Oyeyemi, Leila Aboulela, Monica Arac de Nyeko, Sarah Ladipo Manyika, and Sefi Atta. Yes, all the authors in this anthology are African women. The stories span across the continent - Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
This isn't a collection of typical love stories. There's birth, death, same-sex relationships, love spanning different cultures, and forbidden love. I loved the book for its complexity, for showing the good and bad of love, and how multi-faceted African love can be.
To say I loved reading this anthology is an understatement. It was beautiful from start to finish. Never has a book got me so excited as African Love Stories and I highly recommend it.
5 out of 5 stars.
