Café d’Afrique

Café d’Afrique by Tineke Van der Eecken

"Van der Eecken writes with generosity, frankness and insight; consequently her own character and the others she depicts, such as the wonderful culinary genius Mrs Banda, are revealed in all their flawed beauty against a shifting backdrop of social, political and cultural perceptions and realities. Part-memoir, part-travelogue, part-coming-of-age story, Cafe d'Afrique is a book about making friends, not just with people but with a country." - William Yeoman for The West Australian, 2009-09-15

One can’t help but connect with the author as she shares her experience of living in Africa. The beauty about this book is that as you are led through her time in Africa, you are not left feeling as though Tineke was a mere observer to all that was happening around her, instead she became part of what was and is.

Not a single story, but a well balanced book about the beauties of Africa, its challenges and the different possibilities that still present themselves even today.

"A black wall came at me…The bike moved towards the frozen truck in the middle of the road. I heard it crash. This is it, I thought. I am next." At this point in the book for me, Tineke had become part of Africa – she had given until it hurt. I could relate even more, and any doubts about her sincerity, love and compassion for Africa were wiped away. I now hoped for a happy ending. - George Mutale (Atihow)