The Color of the Elephant: Memoir of a Muzungu received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Christine Herbert.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The Color of the Elephant: Memoir of a Muzungu published January 4, 2022
What’s the book’s first line?
“The Zambian flight attendant searches my tear-stained face, her brow wrinkling with worry.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Christine knew that chucking it all and joining the Peace Corps in her 30s was a gamble, but she was determined to re-write the story of her life. Little did she know the story would read like “Bridget Jones Goes to Africa.”
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
This is a true-life account of my Peace Corps service in Zambia as a health educator from 2004-2006. Those years of living in a mud hut with no electricity or running water were the hardest and best years of my life! Sharing my observations of the Zambian people and their distinctive culture has become a literary labor of love born from those years of service.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
This is the ultimate armchair adventure read! So many people think about serving in the Peace Corps (or similar organizations) but very few do. This memoir, written in a present-tense voice to provide a certain intimacy and immediacy of the narrative, gives the reader a rare opportunity to experience living “off the grid” in a remote African village as if you are actually with the author, serving with her side by side.
When did you first decide to become an author?
There was no pivotal moment that made me decide to become an author. It was a slow burn, I think. So many people enjoyed my stories of living in Africa, that I was—little by little—persuaded to put pen to paper and share my experiences with others in a more substantial way. I’ve received such an incredible response from the public since the book has been published. So many readers have come forward to let me know how much this story has meant to them—how they have read it several times and how they are sharing it with others—it’s overwhelming in the best way! Becoming an author has been an incredibly challenging journey, but the rewards have been well worth it.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
Yes, this is my debut book. It has been many years in the making and even more years standing in the trenches of writing conference pitch queues and plummeting down query letter wormholes. I was thrilled to be picked up by a small indie press who really “saw” my story, loved my voice, and wanted to help me get my story out into the world!