The White Masai by Corinne Hofmann

Corinne Hofmann is a native of Switzerland. When she goes to Africa, she falls in love with a Masai tribesman. She marries him in a Western wedding gown. As she walks to her love, her gown is almost torn by the brush and thorns along the path. For me, this seemed a foreshadowing that the couple might not experience happy, happy hour every moment of their marriage no matter how much chai or roasted goat meat became available.When their troubles come, they arrive in dozens. Their life is made up of just surviving basically: getting water, killing meat to eat, getting supplies for their store, etc. Thankfully, Corinne does get a Land Rover. However, it causes more trouble than it's worth. It just seems almost impossible to live decently on the terrain without an obstacle becoming a part of the day.

Soon the marriage itself suffers its set of problems. First of all, making love is a trying experience. Lketinga knows his Masai culture while Corinne is only aware of her Swedish background. Put the two together, and there is an Atomic bomb. The question becomes will Corinne and Lketinga and their baby girl survive all the hardships and live life together forever. While reading the book, I thought about the importance of culture.  Our cultural background can't be thrown away like a disposable trash bag. I wonder if this is why all people aren't quick to learn the English language once they choose to live here. It's not that they don't want to learn it. It's just so tough to replace what you're use to using since childhood. Culture is as much a part of us as our skeleton. I think we can appreciate the cultures of one another easily. It's much harder to lock one culture away in a closet and say it's not needed any more because I have this new, exotic culture. Corinne and Lketinga were a fascinating couple. The book, The White Masai is an amazing adventure story about knowing when to hold on and knowing when to let go.Corinne_Hofmann