Once Upon a Time in Africa - Stories of Wisdom and Joy (2004) By Joseph G Healey - A Review

This is a unique and intriguing book that remarkablyThey tell her that they do not want to leave anyone
captures the essence of African society in responsebehind, they want to finish together. Many of these
to and in cooperation with Christianity, other religions,stories convey African society as highly cooperative,
and foreign society. But this is not an academic booknot heavily dwelling on a person outpointing and
laden with complex and boring theories. Rather, thecrushing the other and taking the spotlight. Africans
book contains close to 100 short stories that conveytraditionally do not want to be separated from each
experiences of east Africans with christianother, and will work hard to stay together even
missionaries from the west. Each story is unique andwhen threatened by differences in religious belief.
can convey an African parable, an abridged AfricanThey are far less materialistic than many other
story, an encounter with a group of Africans,societies of the world, they can achieve joy and
missionary work in African schools, African responsehappiness in the face of poverty and misfortune;
to death and dying, the extent to which Africansthey are generally not imbued with that western
compete with each other relative to other worldspirit of materialism, monopoly, and selfishness.
societies, the importance of Africans sharing andAfricans believe in re-incarnation, believing that the
running together, how Africans perceive Christianityspirit of a good person always returns to earth
and foreign behavior, etc. Many of the stories arethrough a newborn, dead ancestors are guardian
humorous, but the value message does not becomeangels. African societies are shown to have their
lost. A Maasai moran wonders how great Jesus was.accounts of creation. African proverbs are numerous
Relating to the Maasai aspect of recognizingand tell a lot about Africans. In the book, Africans are
greatness and manhood, the moran questionsportrayed in their homes, the gardens, in church, in
whether Jesus ever killed a lion and how many wivesprayer, in hunting, at work, etc. This is indeed a book
he had.about African joy and wisdom concisely illustrated
In a running competition, a nun wonders why thewith short significant stories, tales, proverbs,
schoolgirls keep crossing the finishing line together.encounters and happenings.