African Ways

This is the story of a young woman’s first encounters with rural South Africa. Coming from the all-mod-cons society of Britain at the beginning of the 1980’s, the author is literally transplanted to a farm in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains in what is now Kwazulu Natal. Once there, she finds her feet in the ways of Africa with the help of a charming, elderly Dutch couple, an appealing but wily African farm hand, his practical and motherly daughter and a wise and fascinating neighbour who has a fund of local knowledge. These are tales of a different kind of life, which include living without electricity, hand-milking cows, drought, veld fires and mad-cap adventures into the unknown. They are stories told with deep affection and respect, and above all a liberal dose of tongue-in-cheek humour.

I couldn’t stop listening.

As I have always dreamed of visiting Africa myself, I found African Ways to be a delightful audiobook experience. I felt a sense of presence, as if I were truly there, because of the incredibly vivid details. There were fires, tornadoes, and hailstorms—a shocking display of nature’s fury, but there were also breathtaking sunsets. I eagerly expect more captivating reads from the exceptionally talented Valerie Poore.

Africa seems like a happy place

This is my first book about Africa, and it is such an honor to learn so much about it. I also enjoyed listening about parenting. It was well described in an entertaining way. The author is for sure has a wonderer spirit and not afraid of life's difficulties (or just rams through them).