Novel · A way to begin
Murder in the Cassava Patch
Bai T. Moore · 1968
Synopsis
From his cell in South Beach prison in Monrovia, Gortokai sets out to reconstruct what led to the discovery, on a Sunday in 1957, of Tene's body in a cassava field in Bendabli, in Dewoin country. Taken in as a child by the girl's family and raised with her like a brother, he wants to marry her, but, with no parents to negotiate the bride price, he depends on Kema, Tene's sister. Pushed by his friends to make sure of her love, he goes to see an old diviner, who promises him a love potion.
Context
The narrative first appeared as a serial in the Liberian Star, then in volume form in 1968 from Ducor Publishing House, in Monrovia, and was reprinted in 1976. Written in Liberian English, it is set between Bendabli, an imaginary village on the road to the Bomi Hills, and the regions of Gbarnga and Sanniquellie. It is regarded as a classic of Liberian literature, and Yor-El Francis made a film from it in 2012.
Who it is for
A short, direct novel, in Liberian English, that can be read in one sitting; a way into Liberian village society.
Prizes and reception
The book secured its author's reputation, and he has since been regarded as the best-known writer of the country.
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