The White Masai

Jeg ved ikke engang, hvad jeg skal skrive. Jeg føler for at lave en lang anmeldelse om, hvorfor denne bog er så dårlig, men lige nu gider jeg bare ikke give den bog mere opmærksomhed.

It's a fascinating story, but the main character is an incredibly selfish person, and that bothered me a lot. Also, the translation is not great, and the writing wasn't spectacular to begin with. But I was compelled to read it quickly, it's a bizarre, intreuging account of a woman who pursues her "love at first sight" to the literal ends of the Earth.

Zeer interessante geschiedenis. -1* voor het vaak ergerlijke exotisme.

The story of a Swiss woman who goes to Kenya, falls in love with a Masai warrior, and moves there to live with him, The White Masai is also a story of love, cross-culture marriage, life in an African village, and domestic abuse.

I started off with disliking the author a little. She was extremely mean to her Swiss boyfriend and dumps him unceremoniously for a Masai man. It is also a little weird how she gets obsessed with a man she knows nothing about. Call her silly and obsessive, or naive and innocent, Corinne does manage to find the Masai and he reciprocated her feelings. The other thing that annoyed me is that she continuously refers to Lketinga as 'my Masai' as if he were some object she had purchased. The 'my darlings' also began to grate on my nerves after a point.

But in spite of this, I began to warm up to her. Once the initial lust is satiated, she does genuinely fall in love and tries against all odds to keep the relationship going. She is the only person who actually treats the Masai with basic human respect. Both the white tourists and the local blacks act as if they are automatically criminals, and Corinne gains my respect by standing up for them. She is a wonderful businesswoman and actually started three successful businesses in Africa, only to lose them for lack of a reliable partner. Hofmann is incredibly resilient and nothing fazes her - malaria, hepatitis, living in a small hut and carrying many litres water from the river everyday. Nothing! As the story progressed, I began to sympathise with her and admire her more and more.

While Corinne is busy trying to make a living and make her relationship work, her husband, Lketinga wanders aimlessly about the place, being completely useless. He does not work to feed his family, no sir! Other tribals who herd animals work hard over the day and enjoy with other people in the evenings, but Lketinga seems to spend most of his time attending weddings and doing nothing constructive. That is, when he is not chewing n  miraan or drinking beer. He is sulky most of the time if things don't go his way. Not to mention, he is as dumb as a brick. No, dumber! He makes illogical decisions in the business, throws tantrums at customers and behaves atrociously at the hired workers. Gradually, he becomes more and more abusive to Corinne and keeps insinuating that she is being unfaithful and going off into fits of rage and disappears for days on end. In short, he is a disgusting and filthy piece of shit.

No problem, Corinne. You have another man, Corinne. No problem, Corinne, I am an asshole, Corinne, no problem. I am a complete waste of oxygen, Corinne, no problem. No problem Corinne, I am useless beyond belief. Oh Corinne, no problem, you a whore, Corinne?" - Just me being nasty about Lketinga because I was frothing at the mouth at some point in the story. I wanted to reach into the pages and give him a hard slap.

Corinne excuses Lketinga by claiming that it was a culture difference. No, my dear. Abuse must never to be swept away as a culture difference. 'Your Masai' was a jealous and abusive person, but that does not necessarily mean that other Masai men are the same. Maybe this is the only way she is able to deal with her trauma, and I was horrified at how much she showered on this utterly useless man and how much she still cared. I also was a little offended at her implication on how he should find a Sambaru wife - yes, because she would be taught to submit to domestic abuse and not raise a voice? Not right, Corinne!

The book is really compelling and kept me hooked till the end. I was rooting for Corinne as she went from strength to strength. Apart from Corinne, the other people I really liked in the book are Lketinga's mother - a wise and wonderful woman. James, Lketinga's brother, is an example of a Masai man who is nice, and I really liked him. It would be interesting to know he he fared in life. I also liked Father Guilio though I generally don't have much time for missionaries. Forget Lketinga, read the book for these other people. There is much to learn and enjoy in here! Don't read this book if you are expecting a love story. Read this book if you want a gritty account of life in Africa under extreme conditions of poverty. Read it for a description of how domestic abuse starts and spirals out of control without your even realising it.

I did cut off one star because I really did not understand some things because there is no background given, especially at the beginning. The story starts almost abruptly and is a little confused. I felt the author left out some details about meeting Lketinga.

In closing, I just want to mention that I read a few other reviews and am completely horrified at the amount of victim blaming happening, while the man gets clear away with his abuse. Just because a woman is naive or innocent, does not mean it is okay to mistreat her or abuse her! With this attitude, no wonder we are still in a nascent stage when it comes to respect for women.

This book is often described as an ultimate love story between a White woman and her Masai. As a love story it had very little to offer, but what I found most fascinating about it, is its Cultural context.

It was one of the most engaging anthropological journals I've ever read. From the very first page I just couldn't put it down. It described in details the everyday life of Samburu people occupying the dry lands of Kenya; their odd beliefs, daily struggles for food and water as well as the significant role Priests and European doctors play in their lives.

Reading this book made me want to donate money straight away and arrange to volunteer in Africa to help them survive 1 extra day. I also have a new-found respect for people who've spent their lives raising awareness of the African poverty. Their poverty is REALLY shocking!

All in all, it was an amazing book that made me experience the whole spectrum of emotions from deep sadness to joy. Ive read it in just over a day and have already ordered the second book by the author!

Corinne Hofman, from Switzerland, was in her 20’s when she and her boyfriend go on holiday in Mombasa, Kenya. Here she meets and “falls in love” with a Maasai warrior, Lketinga. This book is her autobiographical story of their life together in a remote Samburu village in the bush in Kenya.
I found the first few chapters of the book frustrating and annoying. Hofmann is obsessed with Lketinga’s exotic physical bearing. This “tall, dark beautiful man” is “beautiful, more beautiful than anyone I’ve ever seen.” “He looks like a young god.” They don’t speak the same language and are from totally different cultures. Hofmann is incredibly naive, unaware of Maasai culture and especially of her role as a woman in that culture. Their relationship is doomed from the beginning
Her account of life with the Samburu ( who are related to Maasai) on the coast near Mombasa and especially in the remote bush is the strength and heart of this book. She is a careful observer and tells her tale in great detail. We breathe the smoke in the tiny boma, swat the incessant flies, taste the tough meat and broth, and feel the fever of her malaria. We also experience the joy of the celebrations and dances and the love from Lketinga’s Mama. It is a compelling read.
It’s disappointing that Hofmann did not address the effects of her white European culture on her Maasai family. Lketinga changes from a smiling, proud warrior to a surly, possessive, possibly addicted young man. Hofmann has the car, the money, the power in a culture where women have little value, no voice, and are viewed as possessions. We may not like the man that Lketinga has become, but we have to sympathize with his plight as well as with Hofmann’s.

Verliefd worden op iemand die je maar 1x hebt gezien. En dan is het ook nog een Masai krijger en ben je op vakantie met je huidige vriend. Dit is wat de Zwitserse Corinne Hofmann tijdens haar vakantie in Kenia is overkomen.
Het lukt haar om deze man te vinden, ze trouwen en krijgen een kind.

In het begin vond ik Corinne heel erg naïef, hoe kun je je normale leven in Zwitserland achterlaten om een nieuw leven in Kenia te beginnen waar je je westerse leven compleet achter je laat? Voor een man die ze helemaal niet kent! Aan de andere kant vind ik het ook heel moedig, ze laat zich niet door anderen ompraten en ze trekt compleet haar eigen plan. Ik zou het niet kunnen.

Ik vond het erg interessant om op deze manier een inkijk te krijgen in het leven van de Masai in Kenia.

Já tinha lido este livro à uns anos. Foi por isso uma releitura. É uma das minhas histórias reais favoritas. Incrível a jornada desta mulher e o que ela passou por amor. As doenças, o choque cultural, as humilhações, a fome, a falta de condições sanitárias ou de conforto. Uma história real admirável.