The African Interior Mission

In this educational and entertaining work, C. William Allen has unraveled some of the cultural complexities of Liberian society. A double drama of the lives of two teenage boys, Obadiah (OB) Dixon and Jeremiah (Jerry) Saye Gompa, the tale unfolds to show how friendship transcends the barriers of the country and kwi (city) dichotomy that sometimes polarizes Liberian society. As Allen addresses the familiar themes of rural versus urban values, he spices his work with scenes of teenage romance, traditional religion, politics, polygamy, and death. Like his first novel, An Obituary for Hawa Barchue (1983), its meticulous mix of facts and fiction makes it a work of faction. Both novels are widely read in Liberia and are popular in Liberian communities in North America and Europe.