Publish and Flourish is an annual event that recognizes the accomplishments of our faculty and staff who have published a book within the past year. In connection with the Office of Research, the UW Tacoma Library celebrates the achievements of our campus community. The UW Tacoma Library purchases all faculty and staff publications to make them available to the UW community. This week we are highlighting:
Growing Mangos in the Desert: a memoir of life in a Mauritanian village
Author: Katie Baird
Department: Division of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences
“Growing Mangos in the Desert transports readers to a profoundly different culture to leave a message about human experience and the deep inequalities that mark all of our lives. Having joined the Peace Corps in 1984, the author winds up in a Mauritanian village during a catastrophic drought. There she forms an unusual partnership with Mamadou, a farmer from the slave caste, who has emerged as the village leader. Together the two bring astonishing change — most of which has little hope of lasting. Spanning four decades, this vivid and poignant memoir is filled with humor, unforgettable characters, gripping narrative, and political intrigue. Baird’s superbly-crafted storytelling illuminates how the collective human experience is shaped by the unique features of place.” — Loyola College/Apprentice House
Review (from author website):
“Katie Baird’s moving memoir about the people she worked with and the lessons she learned as a Peace Corps Volunteer brought me to tears. It reminded me how much our Peace Corps experiences made us citizens of the world.” — Donna Shalala, former Health and Human Services Secretary, former member of Congress, RPCV Iran 62-64
While we’re working to add this to our collection in the UW Libraries, you can still check out Growing Mangos in the Desert through one of our worldwide partners. Need help? Ask us how!
Find out more about the author here and here.
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