I LAUGH SO I WON'T CRY
Kenya’s Women Tell the Story of Their Lives

by Helena Halperin

This compelling book shows the full panorama of women’s struggles in sub-Saharan Africa without sacrificing the vivid details of individual lives. Subsistence farmers, herders, beggars, sex workers, office workers, hawkers, business executives and a few friends who stopped an ethnic war all speak in "I Laugh So I Won’t Cry."

In "I Laugh So I Won’t Cry," Kenya’s women tell their stories of love, struggle, happiness, and tragedy in their own words. "I Laugh" strikes a balance between intimate acquaintance and a comprehensive view. In-depth portraits allow readers to know a diverse selection of women intimately. Topical chapters feature the voices of a large range of women talking about the subjects closest to their hearts. Chapters cover: marriage, childrearing, work and getting by when there is no work, women’s self-help groups, genital cutting, ethnic tensions, and the new government that has promised huge reforms.

"I Laugh" shows the full panorama of women’s struggles in sub-Saharan Africa without sacrificing the vivid details of individual lives. Subsistence farmers, herders, beggars, sex workers, office workers, hawkers, business executives and a few friends who stopped an ethnic war all speak in "I Laugh So I Won’t Cry."

"I Laugh" will interest readers who seek to understand the multiple realities of contemporary Africa.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When HELENA HALPERIN taught in a village school in western Kenya, she spent her free time talking with women about love, children, cattle, work, justice, the past and the future. Their courage and resourcefulness inspired her to collect women’s stories throughout Kenya. She now teaches English at Roxbury Community College in Boston, and continues to ask questions.

CATEGORY
Women's Studies, Cultural Studies/AFRICA