About This Book
A compelling novel imbued with delicate sociocultural, psychological, philosophical and anthropological themes, The Dilemma of an African Virgin tells the story of two young African girls who rebel against the sexually oppressive traditions they are born into. Mishiyayi is a young girl who refuses to succumb to the temptations of premarital sex. Instead she maintains her faith in virtue, preserving her virginity like a precious bouquet she hopes to present to her husband one day. However as time passes and the tender man she has patiently waited for fails to materialize, Mishiyayi begins to despair both physically and emotionally. Odila is another girl who defies the sexually oppressive status quo of her station in life. At the age of 10 she runs away from her native village and its tradition of female circumcision, eventually taking refuge in Tshijimba. But while living amongst the Tshijimban women she discovers that they are silently enduring a different kind of traditional drama, one that she refuses to ignore. The Dilemma of an African Virgin is a captivating novel that exposes the deep-seated attitudes towards female sexuality in Africa and how they vary from tribe to tribe, village to village and clan to clan. Author Georges Kabongo-Mubalamate is a native of Africa who came to the U.S. in 1995 as a political refugee through the UNHCR. Currently a resident of South Portland, Maine, Georges is a scientist who works in biotechnology. Having spent more than 25 years writing this book, first in French, then in English, he's now working on a new novel dealing with the ordeal of American and European hostages in Africa. Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/georgeskabongomubalamate/
