Born in French Equatorial Africa, Andrée Blouin played a leading role in the struggles for decolonization that shook the continent in the 1950s and 1960s. From the colonial orphanage of her childhood, she escaped an arranged marriage to become an avatar of pan-Africanism, advising heads of state from Algiers to Abidjan. Her autobiography retraces this journey. In Guinea, where Blouin accompanied Sékou Touré’s campaign for independence, she came into contact with leaders of the liberation movement in the Belgian Congo, who recruited her to run their women’s organization. Blouin witnessed the Congolese tragedy up-close, as an adviser to Patrice Lumumba, whose arrest and assassination she narrates in unforgettable detail.
Blouin’s memoir is an essential contribution to the history of anti-colonialism and radical black feminism. Beginning with the formative experience of colonial rule, she offers a sweeping survey of pan-African nationalism, encompassing the intricacies of revolutionary diplomacy, comradeship, and betrayal. Alongside intimate portraits of the movement’s leaders, Blouin gives insight into the often overlooked contribution of African women.
