“What begin as inconveniences—the minor hazards of getting her electricity turned on, acquiring furniture, of riding in a taxi, of getting food from the market—progressively become indications of a society in perpetual collapse. The Last Woro Woro to Treichville, a memoir of Sibyl James’ year in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire as a Fulbright scholar, reveals a culture that is at once beautiful—the red dirt, the myriad frogs in the rainy seasons, the games of small children, and the dances of adults—and simultaneously broken: the dorms at the university are unlivable, the university lawn cordoned off with barbed wire to prevent people from destroying the grass. It doesn’t take a failed coup to reveal the absurdity of a society at odds with itself; it’s apparent in the details of everyday life. James’ eight previous books include Ho Chi Minh’s Motorbike, The Adventures of Stout Mama, In China with Harpo and Karl, and Pistols and Hearts. She has taught in the U.S., China, Mexico, and-as Fulbright professor-Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire. She lives in Seattle where she has recently retired from teaching and is busy gardening and volunteering at a Fair Trade shop.”—Wide World Books & Maps, Seattle. James will read at Wide World Books & Maps this Tuesday, April 10 at 7 pm. Buy The Last Woro Woro to Treichville from your local indie.

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