Born to be Wild
Caroline Link's "Nowhere in Africa" won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2003. Those who were familiar with the title knew this movie was an adaptation of a bestselling autobiography. This was Stefanie Zweig's account of how her (Jewish) family fled Germany before Adolf Hitler came to power and how their lives turned out in Kenya. Those who know Holocaust literature will find it unexpecting.
"Nowhere in Africa" wasn't the first book that Zweig wrote; she penned a couple of children's books prior to the publication of her autobiography. After its success, she thought of writing a real story. And she had lots to tell. Kenya was part of the British Empire during the war. Walter, the author's father, was a former lawyer. Jettel, her mother, and the young Stephanie followed him to this part of Africa. They decided to raise a farm. Her parents have a hard time adjusting to their new life, which was far from what they were accustomed to. But Stephanie was attracted to the culture.
Only in Africa
It is only in Africa where the wildlife is your backyard. It is also the only continent that has a diverse, if not dramatic, landscape. Kenya is located along the Great Rift Valley, a name given by the British explorer John Walter Gregory. Most of the continent's highest mountains are found in this region. It's also the setting of some compelling novels. (Michael Crichton's "Congo", remember?) The Zweig family will be introduced to the Swahili culture, which thrives in these parts. Owuor would be the family cook, whom they relied on whenever there was trouble. (Owuor nursed Water when he was suffering from malaria.)
Africa seemed like a dream whenever Walter received letters from Europe. It recounted the suffering of the other Jews and the inevitable demise of most of them. The Zweig family should've been lucky, but they also have their own share of struggles, marital problems included. After all, living in a foreign land wasn't an easy thing to do.
What was remarkable about the book was how Stephanie turned out to be a well-adjusted teenager. Did Africa made wonders on her? Not necessarily. She was a young lass when she came there, open and receptive of her surroundings. It was exciting yet dangerous. She made friends, Owuor included, who helped her ran the farm (eventually). You may wonder what happened to her old man. It was World War II. The Zweig family returned to Germany after the war, with a new addition to the brood. And Stephanie did penned a sequel, recounting how their lives turned out
There would be comparison between Stefanie Zweig and Karen Blixen, but the setting was the only thing common. "Nowhere in Africa" must not be included in Holocaust literature, but it can be considered a footnote. (And for good reasons.)
