Kvelling and shilling

If you've heard this already, stop me.

When our daughter Amy finished her junior year in high school we gave her the opportunity to travel. She could go just about anywhere, but she wanted to go somewhere her friends had never been, so, somewhat arbitrarily, she picked Ghana, on the west coast of Africa. 

And so began the next step in Amy's journey, one that brought her to choose a major in African studies at Swarthmore. A journey that eventually, indirectly, brought her to a summer internship at the Woodrow Wilson Center in D.C. working for, among others, Helene Cooper. Helene was, at that time, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal on sabbatical to work on the memoir of her youth and of her family who numbered among the descendants of the founding families of Liberia.

Amy did research for Helene and capitalizing on her talent, hard work and who knows, maybe even a little of that abundant charm she possesses, unearthed a copy of Helene's great-great-great-great grandfather's hand-written journal from the stacks of the Library of Congress. It's existence had been unknown to Helene and finding it provided invaluable links for Helene's telling of the story of her family and its history, intertwined with the history of Liberia. It also helped cement a friendship between Amy and Helene and played a role in planting the seed of an idea of pursuing a career in journalism for Amy. AND... it got her a mention in the book's acknowledgements (the big kvelling part here). 

When Amy was here for Thanksgiving she brought us a copy of Helene's book. It contained an inscription in very flattering terms that thanked us for 'lending' Amy. 

Even without the personal connection, Helene's book is an engaging and very intimate and personal perspective on the modern story of Liberia during the years of Helene's youth, up to and including the overthrowing of the power structure dominated by the descendants of the founding families of Liberia, freed former slaves from the United States. It tells the story of a life of privilege amid the disadvantaged classes of 'native' Africans. Fascinating! 

Check it out. The House At Sugar Beach.

p.s. In case you were wondering, I don't get a cut.