Amy's Family
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
She’d never seen such crowds of people; walking, riding bikes or scooters, hanging from the tops and sides of busses.
Her dad had told them that
The driver crossed the bridge to
“Look, Mom! A beauty shop!” A sign propped next to her stool said, “Olowo Braids, 2 shillings.” Big-toothed wooden combs, thread, and jars of hair gel were lined up on a tiny wooden table.
“Mom, how much is a shilling?”
“I think it’s about sixteen cents. I can’t remember for sure. It’s not the same as the British shilling. I’m so confused. First British pounds, then Italian lira and now Nigerian pounds... When I get over this jet lag, we’ll look it up.”
By the time the two taxis turned onto
They drove into an area surrounded by high bamboo fences. This must be the “Compound” where her dad had said they would live. Inside the fences were two houses. They drove to the driveway of the second house. All right! A two-story house. Maybe there would even be two bathrooms and she wouldn’t have to spend the rest of her natural life waiting around while Suzanne shampooed her hair a million times a day.
The man who’d opened the gate trotted along behind the two taxis until they rolled to a stop. He opened the back door of the car where Amy sat with her mom. He bowed, as if they were royals or something, and then he said, “Welcome, madam. I am James, your Gateman.”
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This coming of age story is told through the eyes of the author’s daughter, Amy, who is five years old when the book begins. She lives with her family in
The move to
As Amy learns about new and different cultures, she develops tolerance for the differences and a more perceptive attitude toward other people of the world. When her older brother and sister go away to school in
On her journey toward adulthood, she encounters the usual hardships and disappointments of growing up, along with amazing adventures travelling in foreign lands. She learns to take the problems in stride and enjoy the adventure. Her experiences are amusing, exciting, some very sweet, a few a bit scary, and all fun to read.
About the Author
Martha Flowers Wallen was born in
In 1991, Martha and her husband, Jim, retired and moved to