Minneapolis: Coffee House Press, 1996. dj. Hardcover first edition - The story of a young white American woman whose "longing to know Africa" has unexpected consequences. The author's first book, a collection of short stories, was a NY Times Notable Book of the year, and this, her first novel, is based on her years of living in several countries of Africa as a child, and on her own experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer there. ISBN: 1-56689-042x.