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The Poor Christ of Bomba  (1956; e-copy, 220) by Mongo Beti is a fascinating tale of a priest with a mission and passion to proselytise the natives in the forest region of Cameroon. Mongo Beti told of Father Superior Drumont's struggles, his conceptions, his failure, and a possibility of his own conversion. Like most Europeans and others who entered Africa, Father Superior believed that the natives did not really  know God. They faithfully believe that without the Christian God, the people were doomed and bound for hell. Reverend Father Superior Drumont therefore made it his life's mission, a decision that was set in motion twenty years before fifteen-year old Denis wrote about the events in his diary, to bring God's lost sheep into the fold.  Proselytization.  However, in doing this, Father Superior Drumont made the mistake that every Westerner makes when he meets an aborigine; he thought the people could not cogitate or reason for themselves, that they ...

Title: Houseboy Author: Ferdinand Oyono Translator: John Reed Genre: Novella/Anti-Colonialist Publishers: Heinemann (African Writers Series) Pages: 122 Year of Publication: 1956 (in French), 1966 (in English) Country: Cameroon For the Africa Reading Challenge This is a story by a Houseboy written in the first person and in the form of diary entries in two exercise books. It describes the relationship between French colonialists and native Cameroonians during the period of colonisation from a Houseboy's perspectives. The Houseboy, Toundi, escaped from Cameroon where he was wanted for an alleged crime - a crime he did not commit but has been framed up for his part of spreading the amorous and sexual encounters between his master's - the local Commandant - wife and the giant Prison Officer, M. Moreau. As a Houseboy, Toundi, saw a lot in the house of his master especially when his master's wife came to the household. And as innocent as he was couldn...