Ayélé: The Vestal Virgin. A Historical Saga

Did European explorers find it easy in Africa? Ayélé: The Vestal Virgin. A Historical Saga presents a view which is markedly different from the usual narrative that Eurocentric writers portray in extant mainstream literature. Ayélé, the female protagonist and youth leader is pitched against Edouardo, an European sea captain, whose consuming interest is to pillage the royal gold mine and later retire to Europe in opulence. The resulting skirmishes between these two central characters provide an opportunity for a clash between Christianity and Traditional African Religion, culminating in Pedro, an European Christian priest converting to become a priest in an African shrine! An endearing feature of this novel is the distinct African voice that pervades the whole narrative. The author’s subtle sarcasm of European and African cultural institutions will stay with the reader for a long time. This novel makes a contribution to the new voices in emerging African literature.