King Peggy

An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village

De: Eleanor Herman, Peggielene Bartels

Narrado por: J. Karen Thomas

The charming real-life fairy tale of an American secretary who discovers she has been chosen king of an impoverished fishing village on the west coast of Africa. King Peggy has the sweetness and quirkiness of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and the hopeful sense of possibility of Half the Sky.

King Peggy chronicles the astonishing journey of an American secretary who suddenly finds herself king to a town of 7,000 souls on Ghana's central coast, half a world away. Upon arriving for her crowning ceremony in beautiful Otuam, she discovers the dire reality: there's no running water, no doctor, and no high school, and many of the village elders are stealing the town's funds. To make matters worse, her uncle (the late king) sits in a morgue awaiting a proper funeral in the royal palace, which is in ruins. The longer she waits to bury him, the more she risks incurring the wrath of her ancestors. Peggy's first two years as king of Otuam unfold in a way that is stranger than fiction. In the end, a deeply traditional African town has been uplifted by the ambitions of its headstrong, decidedly modern female king. And in changing Otuam, Peggy is herself transformed, from an ordinary secretary to the heart and hope of her community.

©2012 Peggielene Bartels, Eleanor Herman (P)2012 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“This is an astonishing and wonderful book about a real life Mma Ramotswe. It is an utter joy." (Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency)

If You Want a Heart Touching Listen....

What made the experience of listening to King Peggy the most enjoyable?

This one is a enjoyable, simply because the story is heartwarming and was something I could not put down my ipod or my other audible device until the very last word of the story. I was so heart-touching that I want to meet King Peggy and tell her that she is a wonderful king and learn her secrets to how she apply her life learning skills to her kingship. I would love to bring her to my county here in Maryland have her share her story with the children so that they know that when the dark moments come that they still be all that they can be.
I hope that she reads my comments and reaches out.

What about J. Karen Thomas’s performance did you like?

She brought a voice to the Book that was more than likely that of the true King Peggy's voice I really thought it was her until the end of the book during the credits.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There was laughter and tears all the way through the book

Very Inspiring

What an amazing woman this King Peggy is. She works as a secretary to the Ghanian Embassy in Washington D. C, but also runs a town in Ghana where they call her "king." She commutes between Washington and Ghana at least once a year, and her town has had some improvements made under her watch that are quite astounding, including the bringing of clean water to the town, and better education for the young people. I applaud her efforts on behalf of her people. She is truly inspiring.

The narrator, J. Karen Thomas, is likewise amazing.

The Great king Peggy

What made the experience of listening to King Peggy the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed this book as well as the reader...

Who was your favorite character and why?

king Peggy
I admire her willingness to take on each challenge.

What about J. Karen Thomas’s performance did you like?

Her ability to bring the characters to life

Long live King Peggy!

The book starts a little slowly, both the story and the narration. But it picks up soon enough and just gets better and better. By the end I was cheering for King Peggy and lamenting that we didn't have someone like her running the US government.

Enjoyable

A true story about a woman who becomes a king in Africa. Really enjoyable! I highly recommend it to you.

Quite entertaining and informative

Higher than my expectations! Love the stories about women ruling man! If you love Ghana you will love this book! :-)

Manifest destiny based on genealology.

Repetition of some of the information. I had heard about King Peggy (not sure of source). It was a nice story. I would really like to know how the school and other infrastructure projects are doing as I was unable to find anything concrete in Online searches.

Long Live the King!

I had to keep reminding myself King Peggy is a true story. It's more entertaining than a lot of fiction I've read lately. I found myself the ultimate spectator, cheering King Peggy and her people on as they root out the corruption and lies of the elders and set about making life better for the village. It made me smile and scowl and practically dance with glee at times and mostly made me wish we had a leader who cared as much about our people as King Peggy cares about hers. I would love to hear our head of state threaten to " Squeeze your balls til your eyes pop out of your heads ". Long live the king, may she never have to go for a cure in the village!

Amazing story

The whole time I was listening to this book I kept asking myself why I never heard this story before. King Peggy is inspirational both as a book and a person. Peggy Bartels became a Ghanaian King at the death of her beloved uncle and the story of her taking the stool, ruling as king, and burying her uncle in the royal manner is a ride through the unbelievable in contemporary Africa. Peggy's dealings with her elders are hilarious and her insistance that she is a "man" make some of the funniest parts of the book. Her natural ability to lead as she puts her people first is inspiring to leaders who also desire to improve their environment. How anyone could read this book and not be won over by Peggy is beyond me.

The performance is very well done with the perfect mix of changing voices and nice African accents. J. Karen Thomas brought me right into the village and didn't let me out until the story ended with me wanting to listen to more!

A wonderfully true account of a real life women who became a King of Ghana

Wonderfully entertaining, very enlightening about Ghana culture and customs. I found it amazing that despite having become an American, King Peggy still appreciated and respected the culture she was born into. This novel is highly entertaining, funny at times but also a story of real life and a testimony to being the best you can be despite all going on around you.