Intervention has not read the book but the bits clearly speaks to it as a potential classic of the grass to grace paradigm. While awaiting the read, the teasers from Amazon’s promo is suggestive of an explosive account of overcoming adversity.
Parts of the promo reads: Yvette Stevens was born in 1946 and grew up in colonial Sierra Leone. During her childhood,. she had three dreams she hoped to achieve in life becoming a scientist, working to relieve suffering in the world, and raising a family. Given her modest background, she was unsure how to achieve these goals. but vowed to try.
This is a story of her incredible journey of facing the challenges of studying engineering at a time when this was considered a male profession, as well as pursuing a career at the United Nations and serving as the Sierra Leonean Ambassador in Geneva, all whilst raising five children as a single mother.
This book is a wonderful testament to what the endurance, empathy. leadership qualities and deepfelt determination of a single individual can achieve in the pursuit of our common goal of relentlessly improving the lot of humanity. Ambassador Yvette Stevens is the embodiment of such an individual. The impact of her work, both inside and outside the UN Family, leaves one breathless and serves as a wonderful example to our young people who are, and will be, called upon to help heal our fraying planet. Read. Learn and Act! – Michael Moller Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations”
As exciting as the book promises, so also potentially provocative it could turn out. How might a text like this be situated? How might African readers appropriate the text in relation to combating the ordeal from which only a few manage to escape by leaving Africa or when they turn mercenary against the masses?
Questions, questions and questions which can make the book an instrument of emancipation. It is kudos to the author and her publishers for turning in another mind-boggling story enriching of the heritage of converting hopelessness to hope.
