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WRITER
IN SEARCH
OF AFRICA'S SONG
KAREN
BLIXEN'S "AFRICA'S SONG" -
by Tove Hussein
Coastweek
- - "Does Africa know a song
of me" wrote Karen Blixen in her beautiful book "Out of
Africa".
Tove Hussein went in
search of "Africa's Song" for Karen Blixen and tells in her
book, how she found it, amongst the memorabilia of her life in her
African home, lovingly restored to how it used to be.
Her memory is kept alive
by those many who want to see where the author of "Out of
Africa" lived.
Although the coffee farm
is now a golf course, her home remains as it was - old Africans will
tell you that the school she started for the children of her workers
used to be where the 16th tee now is.
Tove then wrote of
finding Karen Blixen song in the hearts of her old workers and their
descendants.
Karen Blixen's worry
when she left Africa was for the welfare of her servants.
She kept in touch with
them and gave them financial support until her death in 1962 when she
bequeathed large sums to those faithful friends she wrote of in "Out
of Africa" and "Shadows in the Grass".
There are many touching
letters written to Karen Blixen reproduced in this book, thanking her
for her kindnesses and saying they'd never forget her, and many
photographs, some published for the first time.
Sons and grandsons of
her workers have been traced and have helped with information.
This is a book to put
beside 'Out of Africa', 'Shadows in the Grass' and
Kamande's 'Longing for Darkness."
As Tove Hussein writes:
"Karen Blixen's name is still known all over Kenya and the song
of her life will be heard far into the future."
Tove Hussein, author of "Africa's
Song" came to Kenya in 1968 as a field worker with the Danish
Volunteer Service.
She has spent many hours
researching the life of Karen Blixen in Kenya and studying her
literary works.
Tove is a founding
member of the Karen Blixen Museum in Nairobi opened in 1985.
She is married and has
two daughters.
Tove's book is now
available in Mombasa from Kants Stationers, Paper Connections, Ratna
Square or Frances Cook-Lagoussis, tel: 224482/ 220898.
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