Blue Clay People: Seasons on Africa's Fragile Edge
Author: William Powers
Source: Recommended by mom
Days to read: 10
Traveling to Liberia to work as an aid worker to fight
poverty and help save the environment, William Powers provides an incredible
account of his experiences. Upon arrival in Liberia, Powers is eager and
ambitious. He quickly discovers that the intricacies of the issues are far more
complex than he could ever have imagined.
Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world and
many cities lack running water and electricity. Upon his arrival into the
capital city of Monrovia, Powers describes a mountain of garbage that is piled
in the middle of the street. Children can be seen scaling it in search of
useful items. While there are many parts of the book that are down right
depressing, Powers also describes the wonders of Liberia such as the beaches,
the rainforest and the resilient people who inhabit it. Throughout the book Powers
refers to the notion of “enough”. Coming from America where consumerism is out
of control, Powers is intrigued and fascinated by this mantra of the Liberian
people who have so little. It is a concept that every reader should take from
this story.
I really enjoyed reading this one and I learned a lot about
Liberia, it’s people and the many complex issues that they face as a nation. We
often think other countries problems are isolated to them and do not really
affect us/we do not affect them. This book opens your eyes and dispels that
argument. Who is purchasing rich and expensive mahogany furniture for their
super sized homes? Not the Liberian people. However they are the ones with
little choice but to clear-cut their forests and destroy the environment at an
alarming rate in order to cash in on North American’s expensive tastes. This is
just one example in which outside influence and life style play a major role in
the many issues that Powers’ addresses and seeks to find a solution to.