Popular Burkina Faso Books

The Parachute Drop by Norbert Zongo

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

What if your sense of duty required you to betray the man you love? One woman struggles to choose between her honor and her heart in this enthralling espionage drama set against an unforgettable historical backdrop. It's 1986, the heart of the Cold War, and Marie Mitchell is an intelligence officer with the FBI. She's brilliant but she's also a young black woman working in What if your sense of duty required you to betray the man you love? One woman struggles to choose between her honor and her heart in this enthralling espionage drama set against an unforgettable historical backdrop. It's 1986, the heart of the Cold War, and Marie Mitchell is an intelligence officer with the FBI. She's brilliant but she's also a young black woman working in an old boys' club, and her career has stalled out; she's overlooked for every high profile squad, and her days are filled with monotonous paperwork. So when she's given the opportunity to join a shadowy task force aimed at undermining Thomas Sankara, the charismatic, revolutionary president of Burkina Faso, whose Communist ideology has made him a target for American intervention, she says yes. Yes, even though she secretly admires the work Thomas is doing for his country. Yes, even though she is still grieving the mysterious death of her sister, whose example led Marie to this career path in the first place. Yes, even though a furious part of her suspects she's being offered the job because of her appearance and not her talent. In the year that follows, Marie will observe Thomas, seduce him, and ultimately, have a hand in the coup that will bring him down. But doing so will change everything she believes about what it means to be a spy, a lover, a sister, and a good American. Inspired by true events--Thomas Sankara is known as "Africa's Che Guevara"--this novel knits together a gripping spy thriller, a heartbreaking family drama, and a passionate romance. This is a face of the Cold War you've never seen before, and it introduces a powerful new literary voice.

Outlaw by Stephen Davies

Fifteen-year-old Jake Knight is an explorer and adventurer at heart but this often gets him into trouble. When a stuffy English boarding school suspends him for rule-breaking, Jake flies out to Burkina Faso where his parents are living. He is expecting a long, adventure-filled vacation under a smiling African sun. But what awaits him there is kidnapping, terrorism and Yaku Fifteen-year-old Jake Knight is an explorer and adventurer at heart but this often gets him into trouble. When a stuffy English boarding school suspends him for rule-breaking, Jake flies out to Burkina Faso where his parents are living. He is expecting a long, adventure-filled vacation under a smiling African sun. But what awaits him there is kidnapping, terrorism and Yakuuba Sor - the most wanted outlaw in the Sahara desert.

Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic, and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman by Malidoma Patrice Somé

Među Dagarima iz Burkine Faso nema razlikovanja između prirodnog i natprirodnog: živi komuniciraju s duhovima predaka, a oni koji imaju prikladno znanje lako putuju u druge svjetove. Malidoma Patrice Some rođen je u dagarskom selu, da bi ga kao malenoga dječaka oteli i odveli u isusovačku misionarsku školu gdje je petnaest godina bio grubo poučavan europskom načinu razmišl Među Dagarima iz Burkine Faso nema razlikovanja između prirodnog i natprirodnog: živi komuniciraju s duhovima predaka, a oni koji imaju prikladno znanje lako putuju u druge svjetove. Malidoma Patrice Some rođen je u dagarskom selu, da bi ga kao malenoga dječaka oteli i odveli u isusovačku misionarsku školu gdje je petnaest godina bio grubo poučavan europskom načinu razmišljanja i štovanja. Kad se vratio svome narodu morao se podvrgnuti inicijaciji toliko nemilosrdnoj da ga je mogla stajati života. Umjesto toga, Malidomin uspjeh u prelasku između dva svijeta doveo ga je do zadaće prenošenja znanja svoga naroda na Zapad, te do ove knjige o nepoznatom iscjeljivanju i mudrosti. Afrička inicijacija izvrsna je priča o živoj afričkoj tradiciji ispričana sa suosjećanjem prema svima koje zahvaća suvremena kriza duha.

The Ringtone and the Drum: Travels in the World's Poorest Countries by Mark Weston

Laced with danger, packed with novel insights and told with a humane voice, The Ringtone and the Drum relates the fascinating tale of Mark Weston’s travels in West Africa. His journey through Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso touches a dizzying array of subjects, including the consequences of civil war, mounting religious strife and the challenges of globalisati Laced with danger, packed with novel insights and told with a humane voice, The Ringtone and the Drum relates the fascinating tale of Mark Weston’s travels in West Africa. His journey through Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso touches a dizzying array of subjects, including the consequences of civil war, mounting religious strife and the challenges of globalisation. Along the way, the stories of those he meets offer a deeply personal perspective on the lives of some of the least privileged individuals on earth.

Folktales from the Moose of Burkina Faso by Alain-Joseph Sissao , Nina Tanti (Translator)

The Moogo, the region of the Moose known as Mossi in ancient literature occupies the entire central zone of Burkina Faso. It is divided into several kingdoms, the principal one comprising today is capital of Ouagadougou. Along with the singing griots, the evening storytellers pass on the ancestral word during the evening gatherings where they provide the group with models The Moogo, the region of the Moose known as Mossi in ancient literature occupies the entire central zone of Burkina Faso. It is divided into several kingdoms, the principal one comprising today is capital of Ouagadougou. Along with the singing griots, the evening storytellers pass on the ancestral word during the evening gatherings where they provide the group with models to follow. The folktale is the most appropriate form for teaching young children to express themselves, to structure their thoughts, and to reason. The tales portraying familiar animals will be reserved for the group of youngest children. The legendary gluttony and foolishness of Mba-KatrE, the hyena, in contrast with the cunning and finesse of Mba-So mba, the hare, will interest above all children from 10 to 12 years of age. The stories describing the origin of things, the reason for various social taboos, the legitimacy of social functions and structures, as well character flaws that need correcting, are reserved as a priority for adolescents."

Loin de mon village, c'est la brousse by Sayouba Traoré

Kougsalla, un village de la savane en pays moaga, se prépare pour la saison sèche quand une troupe d'infanterie coloniale prend possession du village. La vie change ; apparaissent les impôts, les réquisitions d'hommes pour les travaux forcés et pour l'armée, les recrutements de jeunes filles pour la mission catholique... L'absurde culmine dans cette frontière qui traverse Kougsalla, un village de la savane en pays moaga, se prépare pour la saison sèche quand une troupe d'infanterie coloniale prend possession du village. La vie change ; apparaissent les impôts, les réquisitions d'hommes pour les travaux forcés et pour l'armée, les recrutements de jeunes filles pour la mission catholique... L'absurde culmine dans cette frontière qui traverse dorénavant le village et le divise en deux camps irréconciliables.

Burkina Faso: A History of Power, Protest and Revolution by Ernest Harsch

In October 2014, huge protests across Burkina Faso succeeded in overthrowing the long-entrenched regime of their authoritarian ruler, Blaise Compaoré. Defying all expectations, this popular movement went on to defeat an attempted coup by the old regime, making it possible for a transitional government to organize free and fair elections the following year. In doing so, the In October 2014, huge protests across Burkina Faso succeeded in overthrowing the long-entrenched regime of their authoritarian ruler, Blaise Compaoré. Defying all expectations, this popular movement went on to defeat an attempted coup by the old regime, making it possible for a transitional government to organize free and fair elections the following year. In doing so, the people of this previously obscure West African nation surprised the world, and their struggle stands as one of the few instances of a popular democratic uprising succeeding in postcolonial sub-Saharan Africa.   For over three decades, Ernest Harsch has researched and reported from Burkina Faso, interviewing subjects ranging from local democratic activists to revolutionary icon Thomas Sankara, the man once dubbed “Africa’s Che Guevara.” In this book, Harsch provides a compelling and up-to-date history of this little understood country, from the French colonial period to the Compaoré regime and the movement that finally deposed him.  

Zigzag to Timbuktu by Nicholas Bennett

Nicholas Bennett was eighteen when he decided to fill in nine months between leaving Westminster and going up to Oxford by getting to the place that seemed to him to be the most remote place in the world - Timbuktu. To raise money for his journey he first sold ice cream on a commission basis in an English circus and then obtained a part time teaching position at Prempah Col Nicholas Bennett was eighteen when he decided to fill in nine months between leaving Westminster and going up to Oxford by getting to the place that seemed to him to be the most remote place in the world - Timbuktu. To raise money for his journey he first sold ice cream on a commission basis in an English circus and then obtained a part time teaching position at Prempah College, Kusami, in Ghana. This was the beginning of what must have been one of the most enterprising and uncushioned of contemporary solo journeys.

The Water Princess by Susan Verde , Georgie Badiel , Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)

Based on supermodel Georgie Badiel’s childhood, a young girl dreams of bringing clean drinking water to her African village With its wide sky and warm earth, Princess Gie Gie’s kingdom is a beautiful land. But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village. And try as she might, Gie Gie cannot bring the water closer; she cannot make it run clearer. Every mornin Based on supermodel Georgie Badiel’s childhood, a young girl dreams of bringing clean drinking water to her African village With its wide sky and warm earth, Princess Gie Gie’s kingdom is a beautiful land. But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village. And try as she might, Gie Gie cannot bring the water closer; she cannot make it run clearer. Every morning, she rises before the sun to make the long journey to the well. Instead of a crown, she wears a heavy pot on her head to collect the water. After the voyage home, after boiling the water to drink and clean with, Gie Gie thinks of the trip that tomorrow will bring. And she dreams. She dreams of a day when her village will have cool, crystal-clear water of its own.

Le mal de peau by Monique Ilboudo

Thomas Sankara Speaks: The Burkina Faso Revolution, 1983-87 by Thomas Sankara

The leader of the Burkina Faso revolution recounts how peasants and workers in this West African country began confronting hunger, illiteracy, and economic backwardness prior to the 1987 coup in which Sankara was murdered.

Shame Is an Ocean I Swim Across: Poems by Mary Lambert by Mary Lambert

Beautiful and brutally honest, Mary Lambert's poetry is a beacon to anyone who's ever been knocked down--and picked themselves up again. In verse that deals with sexual assault, mental illness, and body acceptance, Ms. Lambert's Shame Is an Ocean I Swim Across emerges as an important new voice in poetry, providing strength and resilience even in the darkest of times.

The Heart by Maylis de Kerangal , Sam Taylor (Translation)

Just before dawn on a Sunday morning, three teenage boys go surfing. While driving home exhausted, the boys are involved in a fatal car accident on a deserted road. Two of the boys are wearing seat belts; one goes through the windshield. The doctors declare him brain-dead shortly after arriving at the hospital, but his heart is still beating. The Heart takes place over the Just before dawn on a Sunday morning, three teenage boys go surfing. While driving home exhausted, the boys are involved in a fatal car accident on a deserted road. Two of the boys are wearing seat belts; one goes through the windshield. The doctors declare him brain-dead shortly after arriving at the hospital, but his heart is still beating. The Heart takes place over the twenty-four hours surrounding the resulting heart transplant, as life is taken from a young man and given to a woman close to death. In gorgeous, ruminative prose, it examines the deepest feelings of everyone involved as they navigate decisions of life and death. As stylistically audacious as it is emotionally explosive, The Heart mesmerized readers in France, where it has been hailed as the breakthrough work of a new literary star. With the precision of a surgeon and the language of a poet, de Kerangal has made a major contribution to both medicine and literature with an epic tale of grief, hope, and survival.

African Politics: A Very Short Introduction by Ian Taylor

Africa is a continent of 54 countries and over a billion people. However, despite the rich diversity of the African experience, it is striking that continuations and themes seem to be reflected across the continent, particularly south of the Sahara. Questions of underdevelopment, outside exploitation, and misrule are characteristic of many--if not most-states in Sub-Sahara Africa is a continent of 54 countries and over a billion people. However, despite the rich diversity of the African experience, it is striking that continuations and themes seem to be reflected across the continent, particularly south of the Sahara. Questions of underdevelopment, outside exploitation, and misrule are characteristic of many--if not most-states in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this Very Short Introduction Ian Taylor explores how politics is practiced on the African continent, considering the nature of the state in Sub-Saharan Africa and why its state structures are generally weaker than elsewhere in the world. Exploring the historical and contemporary factors which account for Africa's underdevelopment, he also analyses why some African countries suffer from high levels of political violence while others are spared. Unveiling the ways in which African state and society actually function beyond the formal institutional facade, Taylor discusses how external factors--both inherited and contemporary--act upon the continent. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.