Antonia Saw the Oryx First (African Trilogy S.) [Paperback]

Maria Thomas (Author), George Packer (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007 | Series: African Trilogy S.

“A complex, deeply written and finely wrought double portrait of two women, one black, one white, picking their way through the debris of a shattered colonialism, discovering unexpected treasures buried in the rubble.”—Margaret Atwood
 
“Impressive.”—Vogue
 
“Sharp, surprising images of Africa.”—ELLE
 
“Exquisite. The year’s best novel.”—USA Today
 
Though American, Dr. Antonia Redmond is African-born and has lived in East Africa for almost her entire life. With the end of colonialism, like all whites, she faces exile. Only the intercession of an influential lover preserves her visa, but should she leave, she will not be allowed to return. As the inevitable reckoning comes and the white population dwindles, she clings to the land to which she feels a deep connection. Antonia Saw the Oryx First is a profound exploration of personal and cultural identity, love and leave-taking.
 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Maria Thomas wrote three books: Antonia Saw the Oryx First (1987), Come to Africa and Save Your Marriage (1987), and African Visas (1991), all originally published by Soho Press. She died in a plane crash in Ethiopia in 1989 while accompanying a Texas congressman on a mission to a refugee camp. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Soho Press; 20 Anv edition (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156947446X
• ISBN-13: 978-1569474464
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,469,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking at Africa through many eyes. Complex & interesting!, July 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Antonia Saw the Oryx First (Paperback)

Traditional African powers and imposed western ideas are juxtaposed in this complex and interesting story. If you liked Barbara Kingsolver's "Poisonwood Bible", chances are you will like this book too. In Antonia Saw the Oryx First we meet characters through the eyes of an American doctor who has been in Africa long enough to feel more African than American, yet her perspective is a mixture of both cultures. The characters are complex and very different from each other. Each character seems to represent a different face of Africa - the precolonial, the traditional, the colonized desperate to reclaim his roots, the native-born colonist, and the reincarnated new Africa.

Early in the story, a young woman - Esther - is brought to the doctor's clinic near death from a violent, upsetting episode with a sailor. It took me a while to find the courage to return to the book after that, but the return was worth it. We witness Esther's remarkable rebirth and her gradual transformation to a healer of a more traditional sort. We are thrust(along with the doctor) between the world of traditional African medicine and western medicine, often wondering which really has the greatest power and will prevail in the constantly changing African world. Who belongs in Africa, and who can rightfully find their own place there? The answers will have you thinking a long time!