Nine Hills to Nambonkaha: Two Years in the Heart of an African Village

Honest, earnest, compelling, extremely well-written narrative of two years serving the Peace Corps in a remote village of Ivory Coast-- I emerged from this reading with a knowledge and respect for the people of the village, as well as for the sincerity and objectivity of the author. Sarah Erdman's account of how she works out her unique role as an outsider with a mission to improve family health in a tradition-bound, closely-knit rural village is one of the best of its kind.

A similar book I recommend is Mike Tidwell's THE PONDS OF KALAMBAYI.

It started out slowly and I began to wonder what exactly her Peace Corp mission was but it did take shape and I enjoyed her voice of living in this small village and becoming part of it. My main problem was her romanitizing of the traditional ways. "They have electric lights but I prefer the stars." "I missed the tik tok of the mortar and pestle." She was happy to fight local traditions for the health outcomes but seemed blind to other advantages. However, her great love of the people and the village really shone through and it was a very enjoyable read.

This is a wonderful account of Erdman's two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small village in the Ivory Coast in the late 1990's.

Even though I'm a bit skeptical of such glowing accounts, especially when they make the author look good, I just could not help but cheer at the love and respect that seemed to go both ways between the author and the villagers.

I loved this book in spite of my skepticism.

Erdman relates the stories of the two years she spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small village in the Ivory Coast in Africa in the late 1990’s. I had to look up the copyright date after I started the book; was the book taking place in the 1990’s or the 1890’s? It could have been either based on the lives of the villagers. No running water, no electricity. Mothers didn’t know the birthdates or even the ages of their children. Very little reading or writing. No knowledge of birth control or ways to combat disease. Little knowledge of the outside world. Where should Erdman, assigned to the little village as a health care worker, start? She begins to teach the mothers about their babies, how to help them gain weight, getting show more them immunized, and gradually begins to help them learn about ways to avoid getting AIDS and about birth control. In the end, she feels a deep sense of accomplishment in her work in the village.My new favorite travel story. show less

Peace Corps volunteer in the Ivory Coast in 1999-2000 tells about life in a rural, northern village as a health education worker. A nuanced, compelling, tale, and its teller has an eye for visual detail that's matched by her sense of what's new to both her and her reader, and how to lead us in deep.

I loved this book. A beautifully written account of peace corp experience. Sarah Erdman was able to share her heart, joy, frustrations and hope. She pulled me into the experience so well that I felt I was watching the weighing of babies. I read a lot of books like this and it has been a long time since I read one that touched me to my core. I was so touched that I sent a note to Ms. Erdman. I was overjoyed when she responded. She was able to return to Nambonkaha in 2007 for the opening of the Maternity clinic started while she was there. She also was reunited with her kids who were all taller than she. Sidibe finally passed his test and is now in a larger city working as an anesthesiologist. The best news of all was that her work is show more being continued in the village by a large group of health workers. show less

This book truly stands out in the realm of true accounts of life in Africa, especially from the perspective of a transplanted American. Erdman came into Cote D'Ivoire as a Peace Corps volunteer not knowing what she was really doing, and she came out a changed woman. Her account of the two years she spent in Africa is truly stellar, and not to be missed.