Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #332505 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-01
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 172 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781905147328
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
What an amazing story! One of the bravest and most vivid I've read in years, I'm not surprised it's a bestseller' - Deborah Moggach on The White Masai

About the Author

Customer Reviews

Self-centred and simple
I bought the first book on a business trip to Germany, the allure of a cross-cultural romance drawing me in. The story completely baffled me - how could a woman fall so madly in love with a person she could not communicate with, and knew nothing about? It must have been lust, I thought, but when I read of their disastrous sex life, I was totally confused. What was binding these people so forcefully together? Unfortunately, Ms Hoffman never elaborates, and I ended up screaming at her as she threw herself into this alien and ultimately harmful situation (which I found out the friends I'd lent this book to did as well.) The ending to the first book appalled me - she abducts her daughter when she realises what a mess she has gotten herself into, merrily not giving a damn about how the child's father may feel about this.
I got the second book to see how the story continues, if Ms Hoffman realises just how foolish, impulsive and selfish she is, but noooo. She comes running back home to Mummy, in a country (thanks to antiquated citizenship laws) she can't even live in, all her savings having been spent on her African folly. We're supposed to delight over her "triumph" of getting her visa status, own apartment and job over thousands of other candidates, with her purely one-sided divorce going through. She's a hot commodity still, getting new boyfriends even if her daughter complains about having to "share Mama". When Mama decides to move to the Italian part of Switzerland, no one gets a vote! Boyfriend and daughter have to adjust, as another language will be good for Napirai.
The whole part about going back to Africa to climb the mountain is just another example of Ms Hoffman's insistence of doing something her way. Why does she have to go to Africa when there are plenty of Alps in Switzerland, where she could share this experience with her daughter and partner? (And why does she assume the "terrible" people on the tour will know or care who she is?)
I seriously worry about the damage this woman has done to her daughter, and hope she uses some of the money she earned on the trilogy of books for intensive therapy. She was never in love with Lketinga as a person - she was in love with the whole idea of the adventure, a delusion she still apparently suffers from.

BACK IN THE WESTERN WORLD
The first book in this series (The White Masai) is a 5 star, absolutely fascinating read. I would also recommend the follow-up (Reunion In Barsaloi). BACK FROM AFRICA however just feels like filler. There's not really enough interesting material here to warrant a third book and except for the first few chapters and the details of her climbing Mt Kilimanjaro I found it disappointing.

This third instalment deals with the time immediately after she leaves her Masai husband Lketinga and after fleeing Kenya with her young daughter Napirai, returns to Switzerland to start a new life.

Initially Corinne struggles with lingering health issues (malaria, hepatitis) and has trouble integrating back into modern society. (Do we really need all this stuff?) However as her health and self confidence returns she finds a job in sales, moves into her own apartment, makes friends in a single woman's group and faces government bureaucracy while getting her daughters birth certificate and filling for divorce. All the while maintaining contact with her brother in-law, James in Africa and mourning her failed marriage. With encouragement from her friends Corinne eventually writes the story of her love affair with Lketinga and gets "The White Masai" published. A large part of the book is dedicated to her success and travels while promoting her book. In the last few chapters Corinne finds a new love partner and returns to Africa to daringly climb Mt Kilimanjaro.

It should also be noted that Back From Africa has been translated from German so the writing does not always flow as smoothly as I'm sure it did in it's original language.

I wouldn't recommend this unless you've already read The White Masai.

Back from Africa review

This is evidently the last of Corinne Hofmann's accounts about her experiences in Kenya with the Samburu ( less domesticated cousins of the Masaii). I read White Masaii, the first book, and was very interested in Hofmann's emotions and amazing ways of fitting in with the Samburu in such a primitive environment. And then, I wanted to know how it was to bring her half Samburu daughter back to Switzerland. And she goes back years later for a reunion with her husband and family in Kenya. Interjected into the narrative of Hofmann's own experiences are tidbits of how the Samburu live- male, female, children and animals. We learn how difficult it is to travel even short distances, how to get imported goods, what the hospital is like, many amazing accounts of life in rural Kenya. Hofmann's writing is pretty simple (could be the translation) but, still, where else would you find out about these things? In fact, I couldn't wait to read the other 2 books after reading White Masaii,which, evidently, has been made into a film.