Taste of Smoke: Stories about Africa

Tuthill's first work of fiction is based on her 30 years experience as an American in Africa, and each of the stories reads like a personal account of modern life there. Although Tuthill describes the scenery and customs of Africa, she concentrates most on the people, their hidden fears and their anxieties. Africans facing a new world are eager for progress and ``success,'' but at the same time are wary of letting go of their heritage. Americans, despite good intentions, bring their Western values and disquietude with them. Several of the stories include references to the Americans' guiltily held escape plans. One woman resorts to a secret return plane ticket when her boyfriend becomes overbearing during a visit to a village where women do most of the work and are frequently beaten by their husbands. Women are not the only Africans caught in the middle: ``Why Francis Kicked the Telephone'' is the often humorous account of a young man waiting for his break in the world of business who sees a group of Maasi men on a visit to town, ``trying to look `at home' among the frightening roar of automobiles, the rush of people, and the black smoke and pollution of trucks.'' Although the barrier between African and American cultures is not easily breached, Tuthill skillfully illuminates universal human emotion. Photos. (Feb.)