Given our rich oral tradition where great wisdom can be communicated in a few simple yet eloquent words, it makes sense that African writers would excel at short story writing. The economical yet rich use of language Africans have honed through proverbs and fables passed through generations is evident in African Rhapsody: Short Stories of the Contemporary African Experience.

The collection, edited by Nadezda Obradovic with a forward by Chinua Achebe, is an anthology of twenty-five short stories by writers from North, South, East and West Africa. Although the stories cover some uniquely African topics such as the Biafra War, life in colonial Africa, and polygamy, they are also about universal themes which give the reader an opportunity to learn about different cultures through characters they can identify with.

One story, “A Handful of Dates”, by Tayeb Salih from Sudan, is about a young boy who idolizes his grandfather. But, the pedestal he places his grandfather on is shaken when he sees his grandfather humiliate a man who owes him a debt. Although the story takes place on a date farm in the Sudan and is translated into English from the author’s original language, it describes an experience everyone can identify with. After all, every child has experienced that awful welcome-to-the-grown-up world moment when he realizes that his hero is just a human being, after all.

“The Prophetess” by South Africa’s Njabulo S. Ndebele is a story of how a young boy confronts dangers both natural and supernatural while on an errand to have the local prophetess bless some water and imbibe it with healing powers to cure his mother’s illness. The author’s descriptions of busy urban streets, arguing bus passengers, and the strong hold of belief in the supernatural are very African. But in the end, the story is a tender story about a boy’s love for his mother.

“The Three Piece Suit” by Ali Deb of Tunisia is a cautionary tale about the danger of pride. In this funny yet sad story, a poor man suddenly finds himself with some extra money and decides to treat himself to a tailor-made three piece suit. The ability of material goods to puff up the ego is expressed by the main character’s sentiment “Tell me how you dress and I’ll say who you are.” Attempting to keep up with the prestigious image conveyed by his new suit, the man embarks on a showy spending spree that leaves him without money for “luxuries” such as eggs and butter. The suit which he bought because of the freedom that came with having a few extra dollars induces a sense of pride which places him in bondage worse than poverty.

One of the best stories in the collection is “Her Three Days” by Sembene Ousmane of Senegal, one of the most prominent figures in African film and literature. The story is especially delightful to read given Mr. Ousmane’s death last year. The story is about a woman in a polygamous marriage who is preparing for her husband’s customarily required three day visit. Once the charming beautiful third wife was able to use her charms to keep him away from his other wives but now she is now older, sickly and facing competition from her husband’s charming and beautiful fourth wife. Like love-sick and desperate women everywhere, she does everything she can think of to please her man and make him want to stay with her- cleaning the house, cooking his favorite foods, and beautifying herself. How she deals with her humiliation and embarrassment when her husband does not come provides a way for the author to comment on the inequality between men and women in polygamous societies, and indeed in all societies where a woman’s worth depends on how a man treats her.

This entertaining collection of stories is a must-read for anyone interested in literature from across the African continent. The diversity of the stories and the quality of the writing make this collection a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary African literature.