12 Days in Ghana: Reunions, Revelations & Reflections [Paperback]

James W. Gaines Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2002

Mr. Gaines enjoys traveling and had always wanted to visit his mother's homeland, Ghana, West Africa. While growing up, his mother had often told him stories about this amazing land and his wonderful relatives. Mr. Gaines knew that at some point in his lifetime, this was a trip he would have to make. He realized how fortunate he is in that he has knowledge of a direct link to his African ancestry. This is unlike many African Americans whose connection to their African past was broken by the institution of slavery. In the summer of 2000, he was fortunate enough to be able to finally make the journey. He, along with his sister and two other travel companions, spent an amazing twelve days in Ghana filled with excitement and discovery. This book chronicles his experiences along with those of his travel companions. It also describes many of the cultural aspects of Ghana along with interesting stories about his family and how he reaches a new understanding of himself. Mr. Gaines warmly invites you to travel along with him and experience beauty of Ghana as he did. Through this book, he hopes to provoke thought, laughter and introspection.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mr. Gaines is a native of the Washington, DC area and a 1991 graduate of the University of Maryland. He is a first-time author who was so inspired by his first trip to Africa that he felt compelled to share his story. Mr. Gaines uses a warm and friendly writing style that makes the reader feel as though they are with him on his trip. His keen eye for details along with a warm sense of humor allows him to share his experiences in ways that connect with his audience. Mr. Gaines hopes to inspire others to visit their ancestral homelands so that they too can 'shake hands' with their ancestors and gain a better understanding of who they are.

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (October 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403325200
• ISBN-13: 978-1403325204
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,869,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Travel > Africa > Coastal West Africa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I am not sure that the other reviewers are geniune.., June 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: 12 Days in Ghana: Reunions, Revelations & Reflections (Paperback)

There are 10 reviews of this book here, they do not all seem genuine, just keep that in mind. they are all written in the same style, with many of the same comments.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars My trip to the supermarket this morning was more interesting, June 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: 12 Days in Ghana: Reunions, Revelations & Reflections (Paperback)

I was very disapointed with this book. I'm recently teaching many Ghanains and hoped this book would give me a liottle bit of insight on their culture, but it was just a boring travel journal. I would not recommed this book, unless you're a good friend or family member of Mr. Gaines.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ghana's a great country, February 10, 2003

By 

Lauren Edwards (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 12 Days in Ghana: Reunions, Revelations & Reflections (Paperback)

My co-worker's brother wrote this book so I decided to support him and read it. Since I'm preparing for a trip to Ghana also I thought this book was interesting and Mr. Gaines' adventures were hilarious.